Sailor Moon Aeons, Book 2: Rebirth
by Razor Knight
Summary: The Dark Kingdom is ready to strike, but they will find some unexpected resistance. The war begins in several fronts, but the ones fighting it aren't what one would call 'warriors.' The fate of the world is now in the hands of a group of teenagers...
1. Sailor V

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 1: Sailor V.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: January 3, 2010_

* * *

The girl woke up with a start. She looked around, relieved to see she was in her bedroom, and looked at the clock sitting in her nightstand through half-opened eyes. One hour too early to wake up, but she didn't feel like going back to sleep now. The memories of the nightmare she had just awoken from were fading, but she could still hear the screams. She could smell the smoke in the distance. She could remember being hit by something, right before she woke up.

It was all a little too real, even though she didn't know what it had all been about. All she could remember clearly was a palace, a white palace, and she knew it was what she was protecting in her dream.

She dressed up quickly and walked to the dining room. Her mother and father both looked at her, their surprise not concealed at all. "Hi mom, hi dad."

"Minako, good to see you're awake early for a chance," her father mused.

"Accidents happen," Minako joked back.

* * *

They had waited for too long, for too many generations, but the time to reclaim what was theirs was close at hand. Queen Beryl looked at the device the best mages in her ranks had created. A device which could break through the barrier set between her world and the Earth, and which allowed them to transport troops through. It could only be used once every two days for the time being, and could only be used to send one soldier in. But it was still good for her plans, she didn't want to rush in blindly into a world which could have strong defense forces to fight back an invasion.

"I am ready, my Queen."

Beryl turned to the creature. "You've already been told what your mission is. If you find no defenses in there, I want you to gather as much energy as you can before returning."

The creature bowed to her and turned to the device. To anyone not capable of sensing magic, it would have looked like an ordinary archway. But it was a gateway to another world, a world which every creature like her, every youma, had heard countless stories about. A world that had once been theirs, and was then taken off their hands by a group of strong mages. That didn't really matter to her right now, as she was aware of the honor that had been given to her. She would be the first youma to set foot on Earth in many thousand years.

Beryl saw the youma walk through the archway, vanishing in a flash of light, and smiled. It was only the first step, but if everything went as planned, their conquest of the Earth would take less than it had taken the first time around.

* * *

Minako was rather upset. If a strange nightmare wasn't enough, now she had a strange white cat stalking her. She had first noticed it while heading for school, but the cat had been always around, and whenever she looked at it, it would just stare back at her, unmoving. And there was something about this cat that seemed odd, as if it was not just doing it by instinct.

Finally fed up with the small animal, she started walking straight to it (him, her?) surprised that the cat didn't back away. It was either very brave, or very stupid, to not take the glare she was giving as a hint to flee the scene.

"All right, cat, I'm not a mouse, so stop chasing me."

Minako stood there, waiting for the cat to take the hint and run. Seeing it just stared at her, she growled and turned to leave. And then, the small animal did something she wasn't quite ready for.

It spoke. "Of course you're not a mouse, Minako."

And it knew her name? Wait, that wasn't all that important right now. "You... You... Cat..."

"Name's Artemis, and I'm a Mooncat, not just a cat."

"A talking cat, huh?" Minako was now staring at the white cat. It had a small, yellow crescent on its forehead (or rather, his forehead, considering his voice,) and was, as impossible as that could have sounded, smiling at her. "I knew it, first that nightmare and now a talking cat. I'm still asleep, right?"

"Minako, listen. There's an emergency, and..."

"Oh, of course I'll listen to you, Mr. Talking Cat. And I'll also listen to the dancing flowers and pink rabbits when they show up."

"Dancing flowers?" Artemis shook his head. "Anyway, you need to listen to me, Minako."

"Not here," Minako said, "if anyone saw me talking to a cat, they'd think I'm crazy." And if they heard the cat talking back, they'd think her craziness had rubbed on them.

"Well then, where do you want to meeeeow!" Artemis' question was interrupted as Minako lifted him and dashed down the street. "Hey, what's the deal, girl?"

"We'll talk at home, cat."

"I told you, my name's Artemis."

"Right then, Artemis." That would save her the problem to give him a name. Wait, why was she thinking about keeping him as a pet?

* * *

Fortunately for Minako, her mother had gone shopping for groceries, and her father was at work. She wasn't in the mood to tell her parents some lie about why she brought the cat home.

As she let Artemis on her bed, she sighed in defeat. "Okay, I'll ignore the fact cats aren't supposed to talk and listen to whatever you have to say."

"This will be hard to believe, but you're not just a normal human girl. You're the reincarnation of a Senshi, a warrior from ancient times, and if I've been awakened, it means the enemy's back."

"A reincarnated Senshi from long ago?" Minako stared at Artemis in shock. Sure, a part of her mind was laughing at how unlikely all that sounded, even coming from a _talking cat_, but another part of her... Something in her felt the word "Senshi" was something she had heard before.

"You're the Senshi of Venus," Artemis said, "one of the strongest Senshi. We have to stop the enemy before they get the princess."

"Princess?"

"The Moon Princess."

"Oh, of course, a cat from the Moon, looking for a princess from the Moon. It _does_ make sense."

"Ahem... I don't think you will really believe me until I show you some proof, so..." Artemis closed his eyes, and a small, orange wand appeared in front of him. "This was used to train Senshi until they were able to call upon their powers on their own. Hold it and say 'Venus Planet Power.'"

Minako took the small wand (which looked like a pen,) and smiled. "I have to say 'Venus Planet Power,' right?" She gasped as light surrounded her, and for a few seconds she was unable to see anything. When the light dimmed, she found herself wearing an uniform similar to the one she used for school, only its neckline and skirt were orange, and the skirt was _way_ shorter. "Hey, what's going on?"

"You've awakened your powers, Minako, or rather, Sailor Venus."

If this was a dream, she was starting to like it. "So I'm some sort of super-heroine, huh?"

"Your strength, agility, speed, resistance to damage both physical and magical, they all increase when you're in that form."

"How do I turn back to normal?"

"Just focus in changing back... Be careful, though, because the transformation will revert to whatever you were wearing before transforming."

"I see, no transforming while in my underwear unless I can get back home to change back."

Artemis laughed nervously at that. "Yes, that's quite correct."

"Okay then, I'll change back now."

"Wait," Artemis said as his ears perked up, "not yet. I'm sensing a youma, and it's near."

* * *

Kron hated this, having to disguise herself as one of these disgusting creatures. Humans, how could creatures like these even exist, unable to feel the magic around them, ignorant to the kind of power one could obtain from channeling the mana present in the air. At least she had been able to scout the area. There were no defense forces capable of sensing magic, as far as she could tell, and after a bit on researching, she decided to complete the other part of her mission.

"Stop it right there!"

Kron dropped the man she had been draining to the side and turned to see something she wasn't expecting to see. A girl wearing a suit which matched that of the ancient warriors who had forced her race out of the Earth. A Senshi. "Who are you?"

Sailor Venus smiled. "I'm Sailor V, and I'm here to stop you, monster!"

"Sailor V?" Artemis asked, as confused as the youma.

"I'll explain later," Venus whispered to him.

"So you're not one of them after all? Then die!"

Venus barely dodged the energy blast that shot from the woman's mouth, and gasped as she turned into a humanoid crab. "Hey, Artemis, how am I supposed to fight that?"

Artemis let out a long sigh as he realized he had forgotten to tell her how to use her basic attack. If Luna had been around, he was sure he would have to listen to her rant for a while. "Look for the words in your mind, the words that will let you attack this enemy. "

Venus looked at the cat, wondering what he meant. She then turned to see the monster rushing at her. "Words in my mind..." she closed her eyes and smiled. Yes, there they were.

"Giving up already? Good!" Kron snapped, then saw the girl raise her arms. "Hey, what's..."

"Crescent..." As Venus pointed her index finger at the creature, a small circle of light appeared in front of it. "Beam!" with that word, the point became a thin beam, which pierced through the monster's skull, stopping it dead in its track. "I did it?"

Artemis watched as the youma's body turned into dust. "Yes, you beat this enemy."

Venus noticed the crowd gathering around her. "Uhm... I think we should leave now."

"That would be wise," Artemis admitted as Venus picked him up. "Hey, what are you..."

"You said my agility and strength were improved, right?" Venus asked, then leapt over the crowd. She looked around before leaping into a parked truck, then a rooftop. "Wow, no kidding. I thought I could jump quite high before, but this..."

Artemis smiled. It was good to see Minako wasn't too freaked out about the changes in her life.

"I could use this to get to school in time!" Venus said.

Still, he realized the girl wasn't taking this as seriously as he would have wanted her to.

* * *

Queen Beryl looked at the report in her magic crystal. "I see... So the humans are rather greedy, competing for what they call money. Just like the old days."

"Indeed," the white-haired man standing in front of her noted, "they seem to value gold above many other metals."

"Gold?" Beryl couldn't help but laugh at that. It was perfect for them. This world they had been thrown into, it had entire _deserts_ made of gold. Youma had never considered it a valuable metal, simply because it was everywhere. "I see... Have as many youma as you can start gathering gold, then. We could use it in our conquest."

"As you wish, my Queen."

"And also, Kunzite, you will be in charge of tracking down and killing the one known as Sailor V."

"I will send another scout first," Kunzite said, "with an eye spell, so we can know how she looks like. The auditive spell we set in Kron only told us the girl's not alone, but we don't know how many Senshi there could be out there."

"I want that human out of the way, but you also have to gather as much energy as you can. We need it to awaken our goddess."

* * *

Minako had finished explaining the whole 'Sailor V' idea to Artemis, and he had to admit she wasn't wrong. Given the youma would know about Sailor Venus, then using a disguise and giving them a false lead would make it easier to confuse them. If the youma were also after the Princess, then they would think 'Sailor V' was her, disguised to hide her true identity.

"If all enemies are as easy as that one, this will be easy."

"They're not. That was just a scout, with near zero combat ability. Combat-able youma will be far stronger, and if we ever face a General, things could get messy."

"General?" Minako asked.

"They are the strongest warriors our enemy has, not counting their leader. If we ever face one, be careful. At your current power level, they would kill you easily."

"So they're like the game's stage bosses," Minako mused, then realized something. "Wait, what's that you said about power level?"

"Senshi have several power levels, but they start at their most basic one. It takes years of training and using those skills to get to the highest levels."

"Training?" Minako flinched. "No way, I've got enough with school already. I'll help you kill those youma bugs and look for the Princess, but that's it."

Artemis scowled at that. "You need to take this mission seriously, Minako."

Minako looked at Artemis in a way that made the mooncat shiver. "Now listen, Mr. Talking Cat, you threw me head-first into a fight with a monster I would have normally run away from, you told me I have to look for some Princess you know little about yourself, and you tell me there's some monsters out there who could kill me easily even with my powers. I can _somehow_ accept all that. But I had a life before meeting you, and I'm not going to give it up just because you say so. Do you understand that?"

Artemis was quite surprised by that. Minako wasn't as naive as he had thought at first, he could see now that she understood the risks of her mission. "I suppose you're right about that. Training would only help you in this mission, but..."

"But?"

"... But I think you could manage to defeat our current enemies without it."

Minako smiled. "Good to hear that, Art."

"Art?" Artemis muttered. So much for Minako staying serious for long.

* * *

It didn't take long for another creature to show up. Minako had been on her way home when she saw Artemis running her way. "Art?"

Artemis shook her head. "I told you not to call me that. Anyhow, there's a youma, and it's close."

"Right," Minako looked around as she 'summoned' her transformation pen. She didn't still know how she did it, but it had became second nature to her, to call upon the small item whenever she needed it. "Venus Planet Power!"

Artemis looked at the new suit. He had modified it on Minako's request, and he had to admit it looked like a good disguise. The suit was now blue with a red bow, unlike the original orange and blue colors of her suit. She had added a blue mask over her eyes, something that would make her harder to identify.

He leapt on her shoulder and smiled. "Let's go, Sailor V."

"Where is that bug?"

"Straight ahead," Artemis said.

"Good," V said and took off dashing.

* * *

The youma staggered back, shocked. He had chosen this girl because she seemed to be an easy target, but to his surprise, the moment he had clasped his hand against the girl's arm, things went very wrong. Instead of being able to drain her energy, it was _his_ energy the one being drained.

"What the Darkness are you?"

"You don't want to know," the pale girl said, her voice cold and unemotional.

"Hey you, leave that girl alone!"

The girl looked at the newcomer. Perfect, with this Senshi here, she wouldn't have to do a thing.

"You must be Sailor V," the youma snapped as his human disguise changed to his real self, a ratlike humanoid. "Die!"

V leapt out of the way as an energy blast hissed by. "Hmph, this again. Crescent Beam!" To V's surprise, the youma didn't just stand there gawking, instead jumping out of the way of the beam. "Hey, no dodging!"

"Same goes to you, human," the youma said.

V dodged a couple beams more and looked around. The area was still too crowded, as most civilians didn't realize the threat this creature was to them. The girl she had saved, however, was gone.

The youma growled in frustration. If not for that girl weakening him, he could have killed this Sailor V rookie in seconds. "I'm not going to be defeated by a newbie."

V smiled. "Good thing I'm not a newbie." She leapt over the rat, flipping in mid-air and aimed at him as she passed right over him. "Crescent Beam!"

The rat snorted at that. Even at this range, it was easy to... He realized he couldn't move, and looked down in shock. Last thing he saw before being pierced through by the beam, was a skeletal hand clutching his foot.

"Yeah! I did it!"

"Nicely done, V," Artemis said, then looked around. That magic aura... It couldn't be her, could it?

* * *

"I thought I said you had to stay out of their battles."

The girl looked at the older woman and nodded. "I know that, but this time around, I got involved in their battle accidentally."

"You helped her."

"She needed help. I have to agree with that youma, she's a newbie."

"Maybe you're right, but she will improve."

"I hope so, or she won't be around for long."

The woman smiled. "There are still more Senshi to be found."

"Won't you help them?"

"I can't. It's supposed to be this way."

"A group of untrained newbies running around fighting the youma. Are you sure this is the right way to go about it?"

"Don't worry, they will be fine. They will find the Princess."

"If they're going to do it, why have you awakened us?"

"Because this won't be the only war to be fought, and they will need you all in the future."

"I see." The girl looked at the now retreating V, and then turned to leave. "I'll go back home now. Call me whenever you decide it's time to start fighting back."

"I will. Don't worry, Hotaru, it will be soon." As the pale girl walked away, the woman turned around and looked at the spot where V had last been. "It will all start very soon."

* * *

"Okay, I admit that fight was harder than the first one. Still nothing to be worried about, right?"

"Of course," Artemis admitted. They were both walking back to Minako's house, but he couldn't shake the feeling that familiar presence he had felt minutes ago was a Senshi. Which one, he couldn't tell, but he would have to investigate.

"Hey, are you listening to me?"

Artemis looked up at Minako, who was frowning at him. "Sorry, was thinking about that battle. You didn't realize someone helped you, did you?"

"Someone helped me? What do you mean?"

"There was someone else there," Artemis said, "and I'm going to find out who it was."

"Think it could be someone like me?"

"That's possible," Artemis admitted, "but why didn't they contact us?"

Minako smiled. "Maybe they're shy?"

"Eeehh... Not likely." He decided to change the subject as he saw her house come into view. "Think your parents will be okay with this?"

"I know mom likes cats, so don't worry, Art."

"Minako..."

"Art fits you."

Artemis sighed in defeat. "Whatever you say, Mina."

* * *

Beryl looked at the images in her crystal ball and smiled. "This Sailor V doesn't look like any of the ancient Senshi."

"We can't let our guards down."

"I agree. Kunzite, you will go to Earth next time and lure V to you. Make sure she doesn't bother us any longer."

Kunzite bowed to the Queen before looking at the image of 'Sailor V' in the crystal ball. "I will not fail, my Queen."

* * *

**Author's Notes:** This is a rewrite of the Cyber Moon saga, and while I'm starting this story from its "middle" point, I plan on writing the first two books later on. There will be many differences between this story and Cyber Moon, but most of its plot points will stay the same.

* * *

**_Disclaimer:_** Sailor Moon is a creation of Naoko Takeuchi.


	2. Generals

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 2: Generals.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: January 3, 2010_

* * *

Minako walked in to see her father reading the newspaper while eating breakfast. However, something caught her eye almost immediately. "Sailor V? Who's that?"

"A strange woman who's been seen fighting monsters lately. Nobody knows who she is, or if the attacks are real. Maybe it's just publicity for a new movie or..."

"Or maybe there's things out there we can't explain," Minako's mother interrupted.

Minako smiled at that. "I think it would be great to be a heroine, fight monsters and defend the city like that..."

"See, now you got her thinking about useless things," Minako's father said.

"If there are monsters out there, then it's good someone's there to stop them, isn't it?" Minako asked.

"Yeah, but if they're real, then whoever this Sailor V girl is, is risking her life."

"Hmm, that's true," Minako said, then looked at Artemis.

Artemis was listening to them while eating his own food. This era's cat food wasn't half bad, he could admit that much. But he wondered if Minako was having second thoughts about her mission. That could make things complicated for them.

* * *

"Queen Beryl, the gateway has been improved. We are able to send two soldiers through now at a time."

"Excellent work, Aurite."

The gold-haired General bowed to her Queen. "I will keep on improving the gateway when possible, but with how limited our energy is right now, two is the limit."

"I see. Kunzite!"

Kunzite appeared, taking a second to nod at Aurite before turning to the Queen. "There is a way to work around our current limitations. As much as the idea disgusts me, some of us could go and stay on Earth, and request for extra soldiers when needed."

"That is a good plan, and I suppose you're okay with staying there for long?"

"Unlike weaker youma, us General still keep our human form. We won't need to be wasting energy in a disguise spell to stay there. Besides, if I can search the city, I may be able to track down and eliminate Sailor V."

"I will stay in Tokyo as well," Aurite said. "I want to research on how advanced the Earth's armies really are, and search for anything that could help us take over that planet faster."

"Then you two may go. Learn all the weaknesses of those humans, and gather as much energy as you can."

"As you wish," the two Generals said in unison before vanishing.

* * *

"Hotaru, where are you running off to lately?"

"It's none of your business."

"Come on, tell your older sisters about it."

"You're not my sisters, Michiru."

Michiru let out a sigh as Hotaru walked out of the house. "She's not the social kind, is she?"

"She is a lot more human than she want us to believe she is."

Michiru looked at the older woman. Legally, their mother, but in reality, she was more of a mentor, someone who had taught them a lot about combat, preparing them for the challenges ahead. "Setsuna, while I can't understand her behavior, I can agree with what she asked you."

"About Sailor Venus and the others?"

"Yes. Why is it that we must stay out of their fights? If we combined our forces..."

"You are forgetting I'm the one who can see all possible futures," Setsuna said. "You will have your own battles to take care of, and, when the time comes, you will be joining them."

"I'm still not sure, but if you say it's for the best, then I'm okay with it."

Setsuna smiled softly. She, Sailor Pluto, was the one who had found these two, two orphans living in orphanages, two reborn Senshi who she knew would play an important role in the battles to come. She had raised them, but she had also trained them, prepared them for combat. The time drew near for them to prove their skills, but she was sure they would get through it, somehow.

* * *

Hotaru walked in and looked around. As usual, the house was empty. Her father was a scientist, working for the army, and she didn't see him all too often. Her mother had died when she was still a little girl, and she had been a loner ever since. Her schoolmates were freaked out by her power, a power she had found rather hard to control at times. She knew some of them had feared her, even hated her, but she didn't mind. She needed no friends, now that she knew what her powers could be used for.

Maybe that was one of the reasons he had been so ready to accept Setsuna's offer that day. Maybe he knew she needed this, she needed someone to teach her how to control her powers.

Only one year had passed since then, though in 'reality' the time passed in a different way than in 'that place,' the place where they trained. Setsuna had been rather nice to her, she wasn't afraid of her powers, maybe because she, as Sailor Pluto, had powers that went beyond what Hotaru could ever dream of doing.

Still, she had learned to control her own powers. The power to heal herself and others, and the other, darker side of her powers, the ability to drain any living being's energy. She had learnt to summon soul-less ghosts, something Setsuna called 'wraiths,' to help her fight.

She was different than Haruka and Michiru, Setsuna's adoptive daughters. She wasn't strong like Haruka, and she wasn't as agile as Michiru. She had little endurance, which made long battles something extremely difficult for her.

As she walked down the street, heading back to Setsuna's house, she sensed something. In a short range, she could sense living beings around her. Those with magic in them were like beacons of light to her, or, in the case of the one she was 'seeing,' beacons of darkness. "Youma."

* * *

Minako was surprised to see Artemis right outside her school. "What's up, Art?"

Artemis rushed off, and Minako followed him. Once they were a good distance away from school, he decided to tell her. "There's an enemy near, but this time it's not just a normal youma. If what I'm sensing it's true, this could be one of the Generals."

Minako stopped running. "That is..."

Artemis stopped and turned to look at Minako. She looked scared. Terrified. And he couldn't really blame her. If those Generals were as strong as what little he remembered of them, then... No, he couldn't think like that. "Minako, I can't force you to go and fight someone that powerful. But you're probably the only one who could have a chance to stop a General."

"But you said they're strong, and..."

"Listen, Sailor V... No, Sailor Venus. That General will target civilians, people who can't do a thing to defend themselves. I know you're scared, and you would have to be pretty stupid not to be scared, but only _you_ can help them."

Minako stared at Artemis for almost one minute, before she shook her head. "I'm still scared to the bone, but that won't stop me. Venus Planet Power!"

* * *

Aurite looked around and couldn't help but laugh. A dozen or so humans were surrouning her, all armed with some sort of primitive, non-magical weapons. Their uniforms made it clear to her these were the city's defense forces. If that was the best this world had to offer, then this would be an easy conquest. "I see, you are sure your toy guns will stop me."

"Don't move!" One of the police officers said. He looked around and couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine. There were dozens of civilians all around the scene, unconscious, and pale. This was probably one of those monsters he had heard about, one of those monsters he had believed to be just fantasy. But this fantasy was just too real. "Drop your weapons and walk slowly towards us, and you won't be harmed."

"Weapons?" Aurite laughed. "I don't need any weapons to defeat you. Here, let me show you." She reached her hand out, tendrils of energy shooting in all directions, and her attackers all dropped to the ground, drained out of energy. She hadn't killed a single human, though, because they didn't deserve the honor of being killed by one of the strongest Generals of Beryl's army. No, when the day came, all these pathetic human soldiers would be sliced to shreds by common youma.

"That was quite a show."

Aurite turned to see a girl standing on top of one of the patrols. The suit she was wearing, Aurite knew it all too well. "Sailor Saturn?"

Saturn didn't mind being recognized. "You youma will not be allowed to roam free in this world. Begone."

"That's amusing, weakling. Die!"

Saturn looked at the incoming energy blast with the same emotionless face she had from the start. A glaive appeared in her hands, and she used it to cut the blast in half.

"Well, well, I see you're not a pushover."

"And I see my mentor overestimated you."

Aurite snarled at that. "That's it, brat, I'm done playing with you!"

Saturn saw Aurite rushing at her and nodded. "We're done playing, too."

"Gale Shot!"

Aurite was knocked aside by a strong, focused gust of wind. "What the heck..."

"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us."

Aurite saw two new Senshi walk out from behind a parked truck and growled. "Uranus and Neptune?" There were this many Senshi around already? Well, it didn't really matter, she could beat them easily.

"Judging from your hair and skin, you should be Aurite," Saturn said, "the one rumored to be second in power only to Beryl and Kunzite. If that much is true..."

"It is, brat."

"... Then you're doomed to fail."

Aurite laughed. "This is too much fun. Even if there's three of you, you won't defeat me."

"You're all talk!" Uranus snapped and rushed at the woman.

"Fool," Aurite said as she rose her arms. Several energy blasts came from the ground itself, knocking the three Senshi to the ground. "You're rookies, and you're weak. There's no way ones like you could ever dream of fighting me as equals."

"Then what about me?"

Aurite looked up and paled. She knew who this green-haired Senshi was, one of the ancient Senshi. "Sailor Pluto? But you..."

"These are my protegees, so I'm afraid I can't let you kill them, Aurite."

"Big words for someone who never fights!" Aurite shouted as a dozen energy blasts appeared around Pluto, all homing on her. Aurite smiled, sure of her victory, until she saw Pluto hadn't made a move to dodge them, and the shots had done nothing to her. "What is..."

"I never fight, unless I know it's the only way out for the others." A staff appeared in Pluto's hands and she stared at Aurite for a second before pointing it at her. "Dead Scream." A nearly invisible ball of energy shot from the staff, hitting Aurite dead on and knocking her half a block away.

"This much power, how can you..."

"Your fate's already sealed, you will fall when the time's right, as will the rest of your race."

Aurite glared at Pluto for several seconds, then vanished.

"Thanks for the help."

Pluto turned to Uranus. "It's my duty to protect you. I hope this is a battle you can learn a lot from."

"We have to be stronger if we want to defeat Aurite."

"That's correct, Hotaru. You also need to study your foes, know what tricks they can use. That will let you find the best way to use your powers against them."

"In any case, I'm going to check on dad now. Call me if any more youma decides to attack today."

* * *

Kunzite looked at the short-skirted girl and had to try hard not to laugh. She was weak, he didn't need any scanner to see that. And he could see the fear in her eyes, hidden behind a spark of courage. "So, you must be the one they call Sailor V."

"That's right, youma. You should leave before I decide to attack you. "

"Likewise," Kunzite noted dismissively. "I find it hard to believe something as weak as you defeated Kron and Leras."

"Believe what you want," V snapped. "Crescent Beam!"

Kunzite rose a shield, stopping her blast effortlessly. "Hmph, is that it?"

"Uhhh..." Unfortunately, V thought, it _was_ all she had to fight with. "You won't be able to block that one next time."

"Try all you may, Sailor V. I'm stronger than you, I have more energy reserves, and I've got combat experience. This will be your last battle."

V run towards her foe, jumping at the top of her speed, and kicking out with her left leg as she reached him. "Sailor V Kick!"

Kunzite blocked the kick, noticing it took more energy to block than the magic blast. He grabbed V's leg and tossed her to the side, smashing her into a parked car. "You are truly pathetic, V. But it's time to..."

"Leave her alone!"

V saw Artemis leap straight at the man's face, leaving some quite visible scratches there before Kunzite slapped him away. The small white cat hit a tree and fell to the ground, unmoving. "Art!"

Kunzite turned to her and smiled mockingly. "Don't worry, you will join him soon."

"Fireball!"

Something hit Kunzite from the side, knocking him to the ground. As he stood up, he saw a man in a white suit standing on top of a car, glaring at him. "What... Who the hell are you?"

"Name's Hunter Sigma, you may just call me Sigma," the man said. "And I can't stand those who bully girls weaker than them. Lightning!"

V was trying to stand up, while keeping an eye on Kunzite. This man, whoever he was, had managed to at least knock the white-haired youma down, though his attacks seemed to mostly make the General angry. She crawled to where Artemis was, and saw the cat was still breathing. "Hang in there, Art."

"Whirlwind!"

"Enough!" Kunzite deflected the wind gust and glared at Sigma. "I've got no time to play around with you, human."

"Who's playing?" Sigma snapped. "Also, if you're so intent in killing that girl, you shouldn't take your eyes off her."

Kunzite's eyes widened as he realized something. V wasn't where he had left her anymore. Had she escaped? "Damn you, you helped her escape!"

"Yes, that was my intention, but she's bad at giving up."

"Crescent Beam!"

The blast came from behind, and without a shield formed, it did some damage. Had he underestimated V, or was it the rage at seeing her pet hurt which made her stronger? In any case, Kunzite turned to the place where the attack had come from, and saw V smiling at him. "You stupid kid, I'm going to..."

"You're going to be hurt," V said.

"Flare!"

A blast of fire shot up from underneath Kunzite, sending him flying forwards. And that let him, he realized as he flew, open for V's next attack.

"Crescent Beam!"

Kunzite bounced once on the ground before stopping. This was impossible, a single Senshi and some human mage had damaged him this much? He realized that V was weak, yes, but that was compared to the power he had last time he fought a Senshi. If his god was awake like that time, then... But, he realized, brooding about the past when two foes were about to shoot you down wasn't a smart thing to do. "I will be back, V, and next time I will be ready for your friend."

V saw Kunzite vanish and fell to her knees. She had hit her right leg hard when he knocked her into that car, but it wasn't only that which caused her to sink down. If not for this Sigma person, she could have been killed today. "I... I'm weak."

"I wouldn't say that, if legends were true, not many warriors could have taken on a General like you did."

She looked at the man. He was wearing a mask over his eyes, much like she did. "Who are you?"

"An ally," Sigma said. "We will meet again. Teleport."

"Wow, he can teleport?" V whispered as she stared at the spot Sigma had been standing on a moment earlier. She noticed Artemis struggling to stand up and sighed in relief. "Art!"

Artemis looked around as he finally managed to stand. "Where's Kunzite?"

"Gone."

"Wha... You beat him?"

"I had someone helping me," V said, then flinched as she tried to stand up. "Damn..."

"Senshi heal faster than normal humans," Artemis explained, "so that pain should be gone soon."

"Good to know," V said as she carefully picked him up. "What about you?"

"Mooncats were also blessed with fast healing."

"It doesn't make getting hurt any easier," V muttered.

"Yes, that's right. So, who helped you this time? Did you get to see who it was?"

"He said his name was Sigma. Hunter Sigma."

"Hmmm... That name sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I heard it before."

"Your memory's pretty messed up, isn't it?"

Artemis gave V a short glare, but then shook his head. "I don't know why, though, my 'sleep' shouldn't have any side-effects."

"Maybe you weren't supposed to sleep for that long?"

"I don't know, and the ones who could answer this are long gone."

* * *

Hotaru had reached her destination. To anyone who didn't know what this base was, it looked like a normal bunker. But inside it was the only branch of the Japanese Defense Forces that wouldn't take the incoming invasion as just urban legends.

"Good afternoon, miss."

Hotaru nodded at the men guarding the front door. She was one of the few civilians allowed in there, since her only living relative, her father, worked there. But there was another reason for them to grant her access, and she knew it. They already knew she was a Senshi. She didn't mind, and Setsuna didn't seem to be worried about it, either. But for the time being, she would let them think she wasn't aware of this.

After a rather long walk inside the base (which was far bigger than it looked, thanks to most of it being underground,) she reached her father's laboratory. "Dad, are you busy?"

The metallic door slid to the side, and a man looked at her from behind thick glasses. Some people would think the glasses made him look creepy, but Hotaru didn't mind. He was her father, and, also, she didn't mind his creepy looks.

"Hotaru, how rare is it for you to come visit."

"I come here far more often than you go home," Hotaru noted.

"Isn't that true," the man mused, "so, what happened?"

"We had to fight one of the big youma today. The ones Pluto calls 'Generals.'"

"I see."

"And she beat us around without breaking a sweat."

"Oh. I take it Pluto rescued you."

"Yes. But it's strange. I shouldn't be bothered that this woman beat us, because I've never liked the idea of fighting."

"If you were a warrior in your past life, then maybe some of that remains."

"Is Kino investigating Sailor V already?"

"Not as far as I know. Is she with you?"

"No, she's not in my group."

* * *

"That Sigma guy..."

"What's wrong?" Artemis looked at Minako. She had a few visible bruises, but most of the damage was gone. Minako had told her parents she had tripped while running, and from how fast her parents believe that, he could bet that was something that happened often.

"He was stronger than me," Minako said, but then shook her head. "No, not 'stronger' but a better fighter. His spells were weaker than mine, but he seemed to know what he was doing."

"You lack experience, but you can learn from your own mistakes."

"Of course," Minako said, "next time I see Kunzite, I'm going to blast him from behind first."

Artemis sighed. "Be careful, though. We're not sure that Sigma man is an ally."

"But he saved me."

"I know, but you shouldn't trust someone so easily."

"Hey, I trusted you."

Artemis smiled. "Yeah, and see where that got you." Minako stared at him, so he stared back at her. "What's wrong?"

"It's the first time I hear you joke, that's all," Minako said with a wink.

"You're quite a weird girl, you know that?"

"It's part of my charming personality," Minako beamed.

"Uhm, yeah, charming personality indeed," Artemis said, rolling his eyes at her.

* * *

**A/N:** Hunter Sigma is, for those who read Cyber Moon, the one who was formerly known as Ace. There will be differences other than the "sidekick name" for him this time around.

_X0001_: That was Hotaru, I thought it was pretty obvious.


	3. To where no Senshi has gone before

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 3: To where no Senshi has gone before.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: January 4, 2010_

* * *

"I want a full report on the current crisis, Sigma."

Hunter Sigma looked at the woman talking to him. To those not trained in the magic arts, it would have seemed like the head of a woman floating in mid-air, and one would have almost expected it to be dripping blood down to the ground. But he knew the spell she was using to communicate through the countless miles that separated them, and thus wasn't surprised at all to be speaking to her in such a form. "I only managed to see one of the Senshi in Tokyo. If legends are to be trusted..."

"They are," the woman said, her tone showing no signs of doubt.

"... Then she's Sailor Venus. I can't tell whether she is a reborn Senshi or not, though, since she acts like a novice."

"Even a novice Senshi could outclass and outfight most of our clan," the woman said. "Make sure she understands you're an ally, or things could turn dangerous for you."

"I will, Huntress Hades."

The woman looked to the side, as if to make sure nobody else was listening, then smiled at Sigma. "Take care out there, son."

"Don't worry, mother, I'll be back home soon," Sigma said. He didn't doubt the statement he made, but he also didn't know just how _soon_ he would be going back.

"What about the enemy?"

"Those 'youma' are relatively weak, but the one leading them is tough."

"What is the leader's name?"

"He calls himself Kunzite."

Hades' eyes widened as the man mentioned that name. "Then maybe I should send some backup."

"I take it this man is one of the strongest?"

"He was, from what legends say, the strongest of Beryl's generals. "

"If that is the case, seeing how a novice Senshi and a mage can kick his rear, then all we have to do is wait for the other Senshi to awaken."

"That might not happen soon, son. Are you sure you need no help?"

"Trust me, I can handle this."

The woman took a minute to think about it, then nodded slowly. "I'll trust your judgement on this issue. But if you ever..."

"If I ever need someone to help me, I will let you know."

"Good, that's all I'm asking from you, Sigma. Prime Huntress Hades out."

Sigma looked at the spot where the 'floating head' had been and smiled. "So this Kunzite's the strongest, huh? Guess I'm lucky."

* * *

Things weren't progressing as she would have wanted them to. She hated this, her Generals should be far stronger than those Senshi, but the enemy still managed to stop their energy gathering. It was either how Zoicite had theorized, that the Senshi had means to detect the youma, or that they were always at the right place, at the right time. Or, Beryl thought, it could be a combination of both.

"Despite your lack of success, I'm still willing to give you both a chance to redeem yourselves. But I know as long as those Senshi stand in our way, then our energy gathering will go slowly."

"I've realized that too," Kunzite admitted, "and that's why I've made plans to take V out of our way, even without killing her."

"I'm listening."

"You see, there are three zones with active mana wells around the planet. One of those is right under Tokyo, the other one's in the city humans call London, and the third is in the city of New York. "

"I think I know what you're planning," Beryl said, letting amusement creep into her face.

"I will move my operations to England, leaving clues on it for Sailor V to find. Once she's out of the way, it will mean the other Generals can go ahead with the draining. And, of course, I will be draining as much energy as I can from the humans in London."

Aurite smiled at that. "I like that plan. I think I will lead Pluto's group to New York. However, I have to admit I am outpowered by them."

"Then I can help you."

Aurite looked at the pale-skinned General that had appeared besides her. "I accept your offer, Luminite."

"Go ahead with both plans," Beryl said, and smiled as the two women left. "Jadeite!"

The blonde General walked out of the shadows, and bowed before looking up at the Queen. "At your command."

"You will be in charge of gathering energy in Tokyo after Kunzite and Aurite leave."

"I will not fail," Jadeite said with a smirk. It would be easy, after all, if all the Senshi were out of his way, chasing after the other Generals.

* * *

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Minako looked at the Mooncat and then sighed. "What exactly are the youma after?"

"My memory's a bit blurry about that, but from what I remember, they want to take over the world, as they did already in the past. The Senshi stopped them from expanding their domains."

"Expanding?" Minako asked. "Where would they expand to, if they already controlled the world?"

"There were humans living in all planets."

Minako looked at Artemis for a few seconds before whistling. "No way. "

"It's true."

"But that means... I'm Sailor Venus, so I'm from Venus?"

Artemis was surprised she had made that connection so fast. "You were, in your past life."

"So, are all the Senshi like me?"

"They can use magic attacks, just like you," Artemis said.

Minako stood up from her bed and smiled. "Maybe we should contact those other Senshi who have been seen around the city lately."

"I'll try to find them," Artemis said, "but from what I could see, they are good at hiding."

* * *

After their initial failure against Aurite, the three girls had improved greatly. Two more times had Aurite appeared, and they hadn't needed Pluto's help at all.

It was good, though, since Setsuna had been watching over someone else, a person with powers like those they had. Only in this boy's case, the powers were still dormant, waiting for the right time to awaken.

"I was right, Moment, it was you after all."

Setsuna turned around to see the white Mooncat, Artemis, staring at her. "Been a long time since anyone adressed me by that name."

"Not surprising, you were never one to socialize."

Setsuna smiled at that. "Are you going to tell Venus about us?"

"If you didn't contact me, that means you know something I don't, and I shouldn't know about yet," Artemis noted. "So, how many Senshi have you found?"

"A few," Setsuna said.

Artemis knew Pluto wasn't going to give him a straight answer even before he asked, so he wasn't too surpised by that. "What about the other Mooncats, are they..."

"They're alive, but they have yet to awaken. Don't worry, they will be there when you need them."

"So, that boy you're watching, is he one of them?"

"If I told you, I would have to kill you," Setsuna said before vanishing.

Artemis stared at the spot where Pluto had last been in shock. From what little he could remember about her, she had never been one to joke about anything. "I better keep this meeting to myself," he noted before walking away.

* * *

"I will scout the city, just in case."

"All the Senshi are in Tokyo right now, Luminite."

"That's true, but there may be others waiting for us there. And even if there's no Senshi, maybe some lesser human warrior, like that Sigma man."

Aurite thought about this for a few seconds and couldn't help but agreeing. It was better to make sure no interferences would come, specially since they had to deal with more than one Senshi already. "Right, go to the city... What's its name again?"

"Some call it New York, but others refer to it as the 'big apple, '" From what I could gather, 'apple' is a quite popular type of fruit.

"We'll be soon taking a bite off that big apple, then," Aurite joked.

Luminite decided not to comment on Aurite's attempt at humor. "I'm going now, you get everything ready for our little show."

* * *

Artemis looked at the small artifact. To anyone other than him, the now broken, crystalline capsule was not there, thanks to a spell imbued in it. However, this was the second capsule he had found, both broken, which meant at least two other Mooncats were awake.

That meant there would soon be other Senshi in Tokyo. If he could contact those cats, then maybe they could form a team, like the one Pluto was...

His thoughts were interrupted as he spotted something. A man with white, long hair, entering a book store. Even from a distance, there was no way he wouldn't know who this was. "Kunzite... What is he planning now?"

He considered following the man, but decided against it. He would be better off coming back with Venus, as she had already beaten Kunzite twice before.

What he didn't know, was that Kunzite had seen him, and had let him go. Killing the cat now would be of no use to him, as he wanted it and the girl to follow them out of the country. Yes, the bluff was ready, and both the cat and the girl would surely fall for it.

* * *

Things had been pretty normal in the city lately, and he couldn't complain. He needed only to wait, though, for he knew things couldn't remain calm. Something was bound to happen. Something like a van stopping in front of a bank, and several suspicious men walking out of it and into the bank.

He pressed his wristwatch's side and spoke to it. "Are you there?"

A female voice came from the watch. "Zero, what is it?"

"A bank robbery, from what I can guess. Can you see where I am?"

"You don't need to ask that," the same voice said, but it wasn't coming from the watch, but from behind him.

He looked at the girl as he turned around. Her built made it easy to guess her age, and while she was by no mean someone who would stand out in a crowd, he knew her looks were deceiving.

"Stop staring," the girl snapped with a fake stern voice.

"Can't help it," the boy noted, causing her to giggle, and then they both turned to look at the blue van. "Should we wait for them to get out?"

"That wouldn't be any fun."

He smiled at that. "What are you planning?"

"I'm sure you'll love this."

* * *

The leader of the small gang of criminals couldn't help but smile as he walked out of the bank. The guards had been easy to deal with, and things were going smoothly. They only had to leave before the cops arrived. Yes, everything was perfect. Everything...

... Except that their van was somehow upside-down on top of a tree, and their driver was nowhere to be seen. The leader saw a girl standing in front of the tree where their van had been put and let out a snarl. "Oh great, it's that psycho bitch."

"Name's Nova," the girl said, glaring at them from behind the black mask she wore over her eyes. "Now if you would be kind enough to leave the money behind, I may consider not knocking you all out cold. "

The leader's answer was quick, he whipped his arm forwards, taking the shotgun he was hiding inside his coat out in one swift, practiced move, then fired it.

Nova simply stood there, as the many small pellets fell harmlessly to the ground, after hitting an invisible barrier in front of her. "Now, that wasn't a wise move."

"The fuck... She really is invincible!"

Nova let out a chuckle. "Maybe I am, but I don't say this was a dumb move because of what _I_ can do."

"Then what the fuck you mean?" the boss snapped, but then grunted and fell to the ground, unconscious.

The rest of the gang saw someone standing right behind their boss. Much like the girl, he was wearing a black suit, but he also wore a black hood which only let his eyes visible. "Oh fuck," one of the thieves said, "it's that ninja kid!"

"You guys just love using that 'f' word, don't you?" the 'ninja' mused, then saw them all pointing handguns at him. He pulled out two swords and stared at them. "Go ahead, try your luck."

One of the men laughed at that. "You can't be serious... Swords can't stop bullet, boy, not in real life. Kill him!"

The man stood there, swinging his swords swiftly and in a seemingly random way at the incoming bullets, and still stood as the barrage ended, unharmed, while the bullets shot at him fell to the ground. "No luck," he said. "Time to go to sleep."

Nova walked to the 'ninja' as the thieves all fell to the ground, hit by her invisible attack. "You should stop showing off, specially since it's not you stopping those bullets, Zero."

Zero, the ninja, smiled at that, but then remember she couldn't see his face. "It scares them and keeps them from aiming at you, so I will gladly 'show off' if I can."

"Let them fire at me, Zero. You know they won't get me."

"And then what would I do, sit and eat popcorn while you beat them down? That would be quite boring, Hana."

"Sometimes I wonder why I put up with you, Terry." Nova said sternly.

"Because of my charming personality, my incredible sense of humor and my looks?"

Nova shook her head at that and smiled. "Well, it surely isn't because of your modesty."

* * *

He looked at the tall woman he had met only minutes ago. It would have been quite hard for him to believe she was who she claimed to be, if not for the fact he could _sense_ this woman's power. "I think mom's not going to believe this."

"What I've told you is true, Kage. There's a high chance you are one of us."

"If you are really Pluto, and I have no reason to doubt that, then you should know."

"That's an assumption I would be happy to do without. What I see are all possible futures, and not as clearly as I would want to, sometimes. I cannot tell which future will come to pass, but I can try to make certain futures come to pass. For example, I could have let you go on, unaware of what may come."

"But telling me what my future _might_ bring steers me in the right direction," Kage said, following the woman's reasoning.

Setsuna smiled at that. "That's correct."

"I will have to tell my mother about..."

"Don't worry, I will speak to Prime Huntress Aries personally," Setsuna said.

"Shouldn't we inform the other clans?"

"They will become aware of our presence eventually, if they haven't already. But don't worry about that, go back home for the time being. We will soon have to move to the east."

"To Australia?" Kage guessed.

"No, further to the east. Much further."

"Oh," Kage said, realizing what she meant by that. "Good thing I paid attention to my English teacher."

* * *

"Here it is."

Sailor V looked at the book store and flinched. "I wonder what he's planning this time. That place looks empty."

"Only way to find out is going in," Artemis noted.

The two approached the building as stealthily as they can. Artemis had to admit that Minako, despite being quite carefree, was becoming more of a warrior with each battle. The process was slow, and sometimes painful, but he knew she'd eventually become a good fighter.

As they sneaked into the building, they could see Kunzite speaking to someone. A youma, they realized, and one that looked like a cross between a cat and a plant. Both the youma and the general knew V and her pet were there, but they both knew they had to make it look like they had not noticed them.

"I've grown tired of V's interference," Kunzite said, "so I've created this." He pointed at the large, ring-shaped artifact resting on the far wall. Small energy arcs shot through the center of the 'ring' every second, as the machine charged for whatever it was meant to do.

"What exactly is that machine?" the youma asked, fully knowing the machine was just for shows.

"This, Cattleus, is a long range teleporter. It will allow me to travel to a far away country, where I will continue draining energy for our Queen."

V decided to make her grand entrance right then. "Not if I can help it!"

"Damn it, she's already here," Kunzite exclaimed, sounding as surprised as he could. "Cattleus, kill her!"

The cat-like youma tackled V to the ground before she could react, and tried to slash at her face. V caught both her claws with her hands, but couldn't get the creature off her. "Damn it... Art, destroy that machine!"

Artemis sighed. "Easier said than done," he muttered, then noticed something moving in the shadows. "Or maybe it will be easy after all. "

Kunzite was about to walk into the "ring" when he heard a shout of "Fireball" and something hit the machine. He laughed as he saw Sigma standing on top of a table. "Silly boy, you think I would make this machine weak enough to be destroyed by something like that? Sadly, I must take my leave, but I'll leave my youma here to keep your company." And with that, he walked through the ring, vanishing as he passed through. A second after he did, the ring turned into dust.

"Damn it, he escaped," Sigma muttered, then saw V was still struggling to keep the 'catgirl' from clawing her face off. "Need help, Venus?"

"She's stronger than she looks," V commented, not noticing just _what_ he had called her.

Artemis leapt on the cat youma's back, digging his claws into her skin. The youma yelped in pain and stood up, trying to reach for her attacker, and failing to notice V was up and ready to finish her.

"I've got her, Art," V said, and the mooncat understood exactly what she meant, and leapt off the creature's back. The youma didn't quite get the meaning, until the shout of "Crescent Beam" and the light blast piercing through her made her realize her mistake.

Sigma smiled. "Guess my help wasn't needed after all. What was Kunzite planning?"

"He said something about going to a far away country," V commented, then looked around. "But what country?"

Artemis looked around and noticed a few books sitting close to where the machine had been. "I will make a wild guess and say it's England."

V looked at the books. They were all books about England and London, so she could only agree with her friend. "Damn it, how are we going to get there?"

"I'll find us a way," Artemis noted, then realized someone was missing. "Hey, where's Sigma?"

"Gone, as usual," V said, then her eyes widened as she realized something from the battle. "Wait a minute... Art, he called me _Venus_, not V! How does he know?"

"Either he's a youma spy, or he somehow knows about the Senshi," Artemis guessed. "Venus was the only Senshi with control over light, after all."

"I hope he's not a youma," V said, "I kinda like that guy."

Artemis smiled at that. Yes, Sigma had helped them in several battles, it would be a pity if he turned out to be just a youma in disguise.

* * *

"Sir, your father is back from his trip."

The boy was distracted by this, and the girl sparring with him took the chance to knock him down to the ground, straddling him before slapping him playfully on the forehead. "Don't get distracted, Terry. "

"Not my fault," Terry muttered, then turned to the man who had interrupted their sparring. "Sam, is he coming home soon?"

"I believe so, sir," the man said. "Are you going out to play again?"

"We were planning to, yes," the girl said.

"Miss Hana, please take care of him."

"Don't worry, I'll bring him back in one piece, Sam."

Terry growled. "Hey now, I'm not a helpless little boy."

"You're a helpless big boy," Hana teased.

"Hmph. Let's just go out. I feel like punching out some more criminals."

Sam saw the couple walk out of the room and smiled. Those two were a strange duo, but considering what their lives were like, they were pretty _normal._ Neither fought criminals with their underwear over their pants, for starters, which was a good thing.

* * *

"So the youma are coming here?"

"Unless it's just a bluff," Sigma said to the woman, "but I doubt it. I'll stay for a few more days, just in case."

"I will send some of our best Hunters to watch over the city. If we detect any youma activity, I'll let you know at once."

"Good," he looked to the side, then back to the woman. "Oh, and mom, I may have found out who Venus is. Her 'civilian' identity, I mean. "

The woman seemed surprised. "From what legends said, they're hard to identify."

"Yes, but I have only seen one white cat with a moon-like spot on his forehead... And I've seen him enter a certain house, several times, in the last few days. I suspect that means Venus lives there."

"You should keep an eye on them."

"That's what I've been doing, and I learnt that she's taking an English crash course. She was also recently chosen to study overseas, in England. There's too many coincidences around her."

* * *

**A/N:** I took a "short" break from writing, since I was out of inspiration on how to write certain scenes. Besides this part of the story, I'm also working on the first two books, so there may be updates on them soon.


	4. New friends, new foes

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 4: New friends, new foes.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: January 4, 2010_

* * *

The small, violet Mooncat looked at her prey. She had a quite strange hairdo, but she was the one she had been looking for. She was one of the Senshi.

The first few days in this world had been quite strange for the cat. She had awakened with almost no memories of who she was and what she was meant to do, but those memories returned in a matter of minutes. It was easy for her to pass as a normal cat, since there were no physical differences between them and a Mooncat. But from what she had learnt about this era, she was possibly the only Mooncat alive. She had heard news of Senshi being spotted in this city the humans called Tokyo, but she could guess the one responsible for that was Sailor Pluto.

The Mooncat had only managed to find one possible Senshi thus far, and that was quite frustrating. She had observed her target for a few days, and was sure the girl had powers. She just needed them to awaken, and she had decided today would be the day that would happen.

* * *

The swords clashed, and the two men grappled for a few seconds, before jumping away from each other. Hana observed the battle from a safe distance, amused by the show these two were giving. She knew if the older man wanted to, he could end the battle in a second, but that wouldn't help his disciple improve.

Terry relaxed his guard as he took a moment to recover his breath. "So, master Hakko, what do you think?"

"I think you're still a rookie," the older man said, just before rushing in, aiming for a slash to his foe's chest.

Terry leapt to the side, avoiding the initial charge, but then had to bring both his swords up to parry a potent slash. Much despite himself, he could only agree with Hakko. He was but a rookie compared to this man. But that didn't mean he would not try to win.

Hakko noticed the leg swipe Terry was aiming for and countered it by kicking out with his leg. That caused Terry to lose balance and fall to the ground with a grunt. "I must admit, however, that you've got fast thinking on your side. But that alone is not enough to win a fight."

Terry saw the man walking away and stood up. "I'm lucky I've found nobody out there that could fight better than me, then."

"There are evils out there not even I could fight against," Hakko said, "I just hope you won't have to fight them yourselves."

Hana saw Hakko leave and shook her head. "Done playing with swords?"

"Am I ever?" Terry joked, but noticed his friend wasn't in quite a good mood. "Something bothering you?"

Hana shook her head. "Nothing."

"I may not be the one with mind powers, but I still know when something's wrong, Hana."

She sat on the lawn and gave a small shrug. "It's just that I feel like these powers I have... Heck, even your training, well..."

He sat besides her. "What's the problem?"

"I don't feel like they're just meant to fight second-class criminals."

"Maybe you're right, a superhero and his sidekick need a supervillain or four to fight against."

She gave him a half-hearted glare. "A superhero and _his_ sidekick?"

"Let's just give the city a try. Maybe there's some loser with metal tentacles or a fish bowl on his head out there."

Hana laughed at that and stood up. "Sometimes you can be too silly, Terry."

"Thanks, I try."

As they walked back into the house, his mind drifted to the past. Terry had known Hana for a few years, before they even became friends. He had always seen her as yet another snob girl at school (which was, by default, how he saw every kid at his school,) but it took only one chance encounter outside school, when they were both ten, to change his mind about her...

* * *

_That day, he had been about to enter the car, when he heard what sounded like shouts, coming from an alley near the school. He looked at Samuel, the family's butler. "I'll be back in a minute, Sam."_

_"Sir, wait, it could be dangerous."_

_"Can't be more dangerous than Hakko's training."_

_He left the butler and walked to the alley, taking a look in before deciding what to do. He saw several boys around his age, and they were surrounding a girl. A girl he knew he had seen at school before. And he could also hear what they were telling her._

_"I told you, you're my girlfriend now."_

_The girl snorted at that. "And I told you to leave me alone."_

_"And what will you do, cry until we do?" another of the 'brave' boys asked. That caused them all to laugh._

_Terry decided to make his entrance right then. "I don't know about you, guys, but I heard her tell you to leave her alone."_

_The group's 'leader' recognized him. "Back off, Zephyr."_

_Terry smiled. "Let's make a deal. If you can knock me down, I'll leave. If you can't, you'll leave her alone."_

_The other boy laughed. He was bigger than this Zephyr kid, so it would be no challenge to knock him flat. "If you insist!" he snapped before rushing at his foe._

_Terry waited until the boy was close enough, before sidestepping and tripping him, sending him crashing face-first against the alley's dirty ground. "I guess I won."_

_The others surrounded Terry, forgetting about their 'prey.' "Can we try too?"_

_Terry knew he had a lot less chances to win agianst all ten of them, but still stood his ground. "Be my guests," he teased._

_Through all this, the bullies had almost forgotten about the girl. And Terry had to admit he had also overlooked her. But he saw all the kids around him drop down to the ground, and realized the one he wanted to rescue was now looking at him, her eyes white. "What the..."_

_The girl shook her head and her eyes went back to normal. "Thanks for the help, Zephyr."_

_"You're welcome," Terry said, sparing a glance at his would-be foes. They were all clearly unconscious. "What was that?"_

_She seemed unsure about something for a second, but then sighed. "I can do things with my mind, like moving objects..."_

_"So you're a psichic? Cool."_

_"I thought you would be freaked out. Everyone but my parents is."_

_Terry shook his head "I think it's amazing... Thompson, right?"_

_"Call me Hana."_

_"Then call me Terry," Terry said._

_"Sir, I must admit I didn't know you would be able to beat this many foes."_

_Terry turned to see Samuel standing there, admiring what he thought was Terry's work. "Actually, I didn't beat them down, __she_ did."

_"Oh," Sam said. "Is she studying with master Hakko?"_

_Terry chuckled. "No, but I think I would like to see him try to beat her."_

_"I don't like fighting," Hana said._

_"Oh well, nobody's perfect," Terry noted with a smile._

* * *

They had become friends after that, and eventually something more. Terry's mind returned to the present as he checked the area around the tall building they were standing on. "Nothing's happening in this part of the city. Maybe we should try going somewhere else."

Hana grimaced. "Wait, I'm sensing something." She looked down and pointed. "There, that woman."

Terry looked down as well. The woman had white, short hair, and was wearing what looked like a military uniform. "She looks strange, yes, but she's almost up to par with this neighborhood."

"You can't sense what I can. That woman's got a strange aura around her."

They saw her walk into a restaurant, and seconds later, the whole building went black. "What the heck?" The woman walked out of the building, which returned to normal, but they could see she was literally glowing.

"We need to stop her," Hana said. Her suit 'appeared' around her and she smiled.

Terry shook his head at that. It was a trick, and Terry knew how it worked. She could wear her 'Nova' suit and create the illusion of normal clothing over it, so that whoever looked at her would see Hana, not Nova. When she had to fight, she simply stopped the illusion.

He, however, took a more mundane approach to it, as he had been wearing his "Zero" suit since they left his house. "Okay, let's go see what Snow White did in that restaurant."

* * *

Luminite couldn't complain, she had more than enough info on the unimportant defenses of this city, and had just gathered a lot of energy for her Queen. All she had to do now was return to the Dark Kingdom and tell Aurite all she had learnt.

"Hey, Snow White, what are you up to?"

However, that would have to wait. "You two are no Senshi," she noted looking at the two human kids, "so you better leave before you get hurt."

"Now I'm scared," Zero snapped, pulling his two swords out. "Tell us what the heck was that you did at the restaurant."

"That? I was merely collecting the energy of your inferior race."

"So you're some sort of vampire," Zero said. "I thought vampires couldn't be out during the day."

"I'm not a vampire, I am a youma, and one of the strongest ones," Luminite snapped. She could have blasted this kid and his girl out by now, but she was amused by their ignorance.

"Let's see if my swords are stronger, shall we?" Zero asked, then vanished.

No, he didn't really vanish, Luminite realized, but jumped up so fast she only realized where he was a second before he fell down on her. She managed to leap back, but his swords still left twin slices along her chest. "What are you?"

"A human," Zero said, "now die."

"You first," Luminite countered. Before her foes could figure out what she was planning, she shot an energy blast right at the hero's chest, knocking him back several meters.

"Zero!" Nova watched him fly back and caught him with her powers, but noticed he was out for the count. "You're going to pay for this."

Luminite snorted. "I wasn't ready for him, but you won't pull another trick like that."

"I don't need to," Nova said, her eyes turning white as she focused on her foe. "Interesting, you're definitely not human," she noticed as she 'saw' what this creature's body looked like with her powers. "But you do have a heart, right... There."

Luminite was shocked. Somehow, this human girl was stopping her from moving, and she could feel it now... This girl had stopped her _heart_. If she stood there, she was dead for sure. Fortunately, she did have a second option.

Nova saw the woman vanish and frowned. "Left already?" She felt something right behind her, and knew she wouldn't be able to react in time. As she turned to face the threat, however, she saw Luminite had a shocked look in her face, and was looking down at the blade coming out of her chest. "Zero!"

Zero was kneeling right behind Luminite, still holding his sword. "Die already, bitch."

"You won't be this lucky twice," Luminite growled before teleporting away and back to her makeshift base.

"Are you okay, Terry?" Nova asked.

"I'll live," Zero said, but then fall on his back. "Ow..."

Nova run to his side "Terry!"

"I'm quite useless, huh?"

"Don't say that, you saved my life."

Zero smiled. "That's what sidekicks do."

"Okay, time to visit the hospital."

"Oh, come on. It's just a flesh wound."

Nova sighed at him. "I see your sense of humor wasn't affected by that blast."

* * *

Hours later, Hana was sitting on Terry's bed. Fortunately, he had only gotten a few bruises and scratches from his fight, but she was still worried. "Terry?"

"What's wrong?" Terry asked. He was feeling a lot better now, but he could tell something was bothering her.

"I know you want to protect me, and I really appreciate what you do for me, but you don't need to keep me out of the fight, you know?"

"What? I didn't..."

"You did, you rushed that woman and started attacking her without even letting me try to help."

Terry looked at her for a few seconds before nodding. "I guess I did."

"You don't have to get hurt for my sake, Terry."

"Oh, but my plan worked, didn't it?"

Hana laughed at that. "That was no plan at all, mister."

"Or was it? You'll never know how my mind really works."

"I could find out rather easily," Hana joked.

Terry flinched. "Uhm, I think I'll pass, thank you."

* * *

Later that day, the two were talking to Kyo Hakko, Terry's martial arts master. "... And then the woman vanished."

Hakko sighed. "That sounds quite incredible, but I've seen my share of incredible myself."

"How would you fight someone like that?" Terry asked.

"I wouldn't," Hakko said with a neutral stare.

"Wow, that sure helps a lot, old man."

Hakko growled at him. He didn't like the nickname, and Terry knew it. "If I were forced to fight someone who could use ranged attacks, I would try to use my surroundings as a shield, and lure them in. Problem is, this enemy seems to be good in close range too."

"She surprised me this time around, that's all."

"You're forgetting about one factor which will make it easier for you to fight her," Hakko said, then looked at Hana. "This young woman here."

Terry nodded. "I know. But have you ever heard about something like this? Women throwing light beams around and draining people?"

"As a matter of fact," Hakko said, "I have. There's rumors of monsters like those appearing in Tokyo."

"What's that woman doing all the way here, then?" Hana pondered.

"Maybe she's lost," Terry joked.

"Or maybe they've decided to try their luck in this part of the world," Hakko said. "I'll be keeping an eye on the city."

"Going to join us?"

"No, I won't be playing. If those youma are left unchecked, they could drain a lot of innocents."

Terry saw Hakko stand up to leave and sighed. "Why not tell the police, or the army?"

"Normal weapons are almost useless against youma."

"My sword left a nice hole in that bitch," Terry commented.

"As I said, normal weapons are useless."

Terry stared at the man's back as he walked away. "I swear, that guy's keeping a lot of secrets from us."

"You're paying him to teach you how to fight, not to tell you the story of his life."

"Sometimes you can be quite a pest, girl. But know what, I think you got your wish."

"What wish?"

"You were complaining about how you didn't have any strong foe to fight against."

Hana thought about that for a few seconds before nodding. "'Be careful what you wish for,' huh?"

* * *

Minako could now see Artemis was far trickier than he seemed. Not only had he changed the school files to have her put in a fake student exchange program, and had managed to get her a free English crash course, but also, he was right now taking a nap on her lap, and nobody in the plane seemed to care. She was sure if she asked him, he'd just say it was magic, so she didn't ask. After all, it was just as strange as her own ability to shoot laser beams out of her fingertips.

What she liked the most about this trip, was that her seat was next to a cute foreign-looking guy. He seemed to be in his late teens, but she didn't really mind. She noticed he was looking at her and felt her cheeks heat up.

"Haven't we met before?" he asked. Though his accent was a bit strange, she hadn't expected him to speak Japanese at all.

"Uhm, no, I don't think we have."

"I can guess you're going to England to study there. Am I right?"

Minako nodded at that. "I will stay there for a while."

_"So I suppose you can speak English."_

_"A little bit,"_ Minako said, unsure if her accent would be noticeable.

"Don't worry, I didn't know a lot of Japanese when I came to Tokyo. My name's Brad."

"Nice to meet you, my name's Minako."

The plane trip wouldn't be as boring as Minako had first thought. And even though she didn't know it yet, she would see this man again in a not-so-far future.

* * *

She couldn't really believe how lucky she had been lately. Brad had given her his phone number and address, in case she needed help, but she hadn't looked at them. However, as she reached her new house, she was rather shocked. The 'house' was too big to be called just a house, at least from her point of view.

"Are you sure this is the right address?" She asked Artemis.

Artemis saw nobody around and nodded. "Yes, this is the house. I didn't know it would be this big, either."

"Well, you know the saying, don't look a gift horse in the leg."

The cat stared at her for a few seconds before shaking his head. "That's not how the saying goes."

The front garden was quite a show, too, but Minako realized she couldn't just stand there gawking at the house from the outside. As she walked to the gate, to look for a caller of some sort, she felt someone chuckle behind her. She turned and was frozen in surprise for a second. "Uhh... Brad?"

The guy was standing there, looking at her with unconcealed amusement in his face. "What are you doing here?"

"This is where I'll live," she said. "What are you doing here?"

Brad laughed at that. "That's my house. My mother's house, at least."

Minako flinched. _"No way..."_

Brad nodded and also switched to Japanese. _"I don't believe in coincidences, but I don't know if I can call this anything else but that."_

"A gift horse, indeed," Minako whispered.

"What?"

Minako giggled. "Nevermind." She looked at the house and smiled. "I can't wait to see how your house looks from the inside."

* * *

Aurite saw Luminite crawl through the portal and couldn't help but cringe. Despite having used a healing spell, the wound in Luminite's chest was quite noticeable. "What the darkness happened to you?"

"Two humans, a crazy swordsman and a magician girl, showed up after I finished gathering energy. The magician used some kind of strange magic, she chanted no spell, but she managed to stop me from moving, and stopped my heart."

"That sounds like trouble. Maybe I should go next time?"

"No, I'll handle them myself."

"Don't be a fool. If that magician is dangerous, then you shouldn't underestimate her."

"The girl is easy to fool once you know how to, but the guy was the one doing this to me," Luminite noted. True, her wound was almost closed, but it still hurt. Next time she saw that kid, she would make sure to repay the favor. "I think I could use your help, Aurite."

"Consider it payment in advance for the help I'm expecting you to give me with Pluto's group," Aurite said with a small smile.

* * *

Kunzite was growing impatient. He had attacked twice in the last week, and no signs of Sailor V anywhere. Had she not taken the bait? No, he was sure she would buy his scam. So he just had to attack again, and then... But he realized there was now a youma in the room with him. "What do you want, Flia?"

The youma looked like a humanoid fly, and was ugly even by youma standards. "My Lord Kunzite, Jadeite's first energy draining operation is about to start."

"Then I hope V didn't stay there. It would be bad for Jadeite to have her show up today. If V is here in London, then you will have to lure her out, Flia."

The youma bowed to him. "As you wish, Lord Kunzite."

* * *

**A/N:** The plot thickens. Next chapter will come with a few more surprises. I hope I can get next episode out faster than the last two, but it may take a while, since it has one of the hardest to write scenes in this part of the story.

_X00001:_ The ones who have already shown up are the only ones she found, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and, well, Hunter Orion.


	5. Nova

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 5: Nova.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: January 4, 2010_

* * *

Sailor V stood on top of a tall building, looking at the results of her last battle. She was getting better at this, true, but sometimes she wished she could deal with these monsters _before_ they punched a few holes in the walls of whatever building they attacked. Of course, she knew several of those holes were from her own attack. A proof that she was getting better, as she wasn't limited to one or two shots per fight anymore.

"This youma was rather easy," she commented.

The cat sitting besides her nodded, "Sigma helped, and without Kunzite showing up, there was little chance of you losing."

"I'm getting better, right?"

"I'll admit you've come a long way from your first battle, but... You're quite not as skilled as you could be."

"I still kick Kunzite's rear whenever he shows up."

"Don't grow overconfident, Mina. If you do, you'll leave your guard down, and that could mean losing a fight."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not going to fail in my mission, don't worry."

Artemis gave her a short glare. "I wasn't talking about the mission. I don't want to see you get hurt, or worse."

V smiled at him. "Sorry, and... Thanks."

* * *

"Kunzite's just sent a report to us, Sailor V is in London."

"Good, that's one less problem to take care of," Beryl said, "but Aurite, I'm growing impatient about your group."

"We're going to take care of the two pseudo-warriors in New York today," Aurite said, "Luminite's preparing the stage for that."

The Queen nodded at that, then looked to the other General standing near her throne. "Jadeite, we cannot afford to stop our energy gathering operations in Tokyo. You will go there today and drain as much as you can from those disgusting humans."

"I have already located a place where I can gather a large quantity of energy," Jadeite explained.

"Go, and do not fail me," Beryl said before smiling evily. "Soon the Earth will belong to us youma, as it should."

* * *

The girl just stared at the cat as it spoke. It spoke, a cat! Of course, considering what the cat was saying, about her being some sort of warrior and having to look for a Princess, then the fact this cat spoke wasn't all that strange. However, the cat had stopped speaking, which meant she was supposed to say something.

"So I'm going to be a superheroine?"

"Usagi, this is no game, do you understand?"

"Of course I do, kitty." "My name's Luna," the cat snapped.

A purple cat. From the Moon. And it had a name. Could things get any dumber? She hoped she would wake up from this dream already. "Luna, huh? That's a funny name."

Luna sighed and shook her head. "Okay..." a small, pink brooch appeared floating in front of her. "Hold that in your hand and say the words 'Moon Prism Power.'"

Usagi grabbed the brooch and looked at it. "That sounds like something a manga heroine would say."

"Manga?" Luna asked. "Just do as I told you."

"Hmph, fine, I'll do it, but only because I want to wake up from this stupid dream already. Moon Prism Power!"

Usagi's form was blurred by light as pink ribbons appeared out of thin air, wrapping around her body and forming a white leotard, blue collar and skirt, and red bows in the front and back of the suit. White gloves and red boots completed the attire, and as the light dimmed, Usagi looked at herself in the mirror. "Wow, this is cool!"

"As I thought, you are Sailor Moon."

"Sailor Moon?" Usagi repeated. For some reason, the name sounded vaguely familiar. "So, I can use magic now, right?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, you can." She stopped and looked out the window. "And you will have to use it sooner than I thought. An enemy's attacking."

"This late at night? Can't they wait until the morning?"

Luna sighed in defeat. "Usagi... No, Sailor Moon. Listen, as I told you before, the youma are evil creatures, and they are draining humans. We have to stop that from happening."

"What happens to those who get drained?"

"That depends, but if youma really want to, they can drain a person's life energy completely."

Sailor Moon paled at that. "They... Kill people?"

"Yes, and we're wasting time here talking while someone's being attacked. Let's go!"

"All right, you don't have to shout, Luna," Sailor Moon groaned as the two leapt out the window and dashed down the street.

* * *

In the other side of the planet, two other heroes were also searching for youma. After two hours of searching, however, they were quite ready to give up. "At least the weather's nice."

Nova smiled. "Yeah, it would suck to be searching for that woman under the rain." She stopped and looked around, until she got her bearings. "There she is. But she's not alone."

Zero looked down and saw what she meant. That white-haired woman was back, but there was another woman with her now. "Two for the price of one."

"You take care of the gold-haired one, I'll take care of our old friend," Nova said.

"Sounds like a plan."

* * *

To say that Naru Osaka was scared would have been a huge understatement. Her mother had turned into a monster, a monster with black, evil eyes and a sinister smile. No, this couldn't be her mother, her mother would never hurt her. Her mother would never try to choke her to death, which was just what this creature was seemingly trying to do. And she was feeling tired, sleepy, she knew it wouldn't be long until she just couldn't stay awake anymore.

"Stop it right there!"

Naru saw two shadows in the doorway. One was a small cat, the other, a girl. "Who..."

The monster's head turned (in a way a woman's head shouldn't be able to turn) and looked at the newcomer. "Who the darkness are you?"

Sailor Moon took a second to look at her surroundings. Dozens of unconscious women were scattered around the store, and they were all wearing at least one piece of jewelry. "Wow, I think I was lucky to not have enough money to buy one of those after all."

"I asked you something, brat," the monster snarled.

"My name is Sailor Moon, and for using beautiful jewelry for your evil goals, I will punish you!"

Luna saw Moon striking several poses as she went through that phrase, and sighed. "All that posing's not really needed, you know?"

"Magical girls always do it," Moon countered.

The creature growled at her. "Sailor Moon? One of the Sailor Senshi? That's quite convenient, since killing one of your kin will make me my master's favorite." As she said that, the women all around the store rose, their eyes glowing. "Kill her!"

Naru watched as Sailor Moon was chased around the store by the women. She had heard rumors of the Senshi, specially Sailor V, but they were always brave, skilled warriors. This girl was quite the contrary. Still, she had saved her. "Get her, Sailor Moon!"

Moon heard that and stopped running. No, she couldn't be scared, not when her best friend was in danger. "Luna, how do I fight these women?"

"They're being controlled by the creature," Luna explained, "so if you kill the creature, they will stop." She noticed something out of the corner of her eye and turned in that direction. "Who is..."

Something shot by the youma's side, slicing her cheek. As the youma looked down, she saw it was a red rose, which had stabbed into the floor after hitting her. "What? Who are you?"

The man looked at her from the doorway. "Jewels should enhance a woman's beauty, not cloud her mind and make her act against her will. I cannot forgive someone like you."

The youma growled at him. "I'm going to destroy you, human!"

Luna smiled. "Moon, do it now, while she's distracted."

"Do what, punch her?"

"No, use your..." It was then that Luna realized she hadn't told Sailor Moon how to attack her enemies. Such a dumb mistake for her to make! But now wasn't really the time to be mentally slapping herself in the forehead. "Concentrate, Moon, and look for the words in your mind."

Moon noticed the women weren't attacking her, not since the youma had targeted the newcomer, who was fending her off with a cane. Maybe that creature needed to keep her focus in order to control them? It didn't matter, really, and it was giving her some time to figure out how to defeat her. She closed her eyes as told, but couldn't really understand what Luna was talking about. Search for words in her mind, what kind of words? She was about to ask Luna, but then found what she was looking for.

"I got it," Moon said as she pulled the tiara off her forehead. "Moon..." she started spinning as her tiara lit up, hovering a few inches above her hand. "... Tiara..." she spun a few more times before stopping and pulling her arm back, ready to toss her weapon. "... Action!"

The youma heard the last word clearly, but didn't have time to turn and see the projectile heading for her before it punched through her chest, and she screamed before turning to dust.

"I did it!" Moon shouted and leapt up in joy.

"Well done, Sailor Moon."

Moon looked at the mysterious man, who was walking to the door. "Wait, who are you?"

"You may call me Tuxedo Kamen. Until we meet again, Sailor Moon!"

"Wait!"

But it was already too late, as the man run out of the store and vanished from sight.

"Well done, Sailor Moon, I'm proud of..." Luna stopped as she saw the girl was paying no attention to her. Moon was just looking out the shop, smiling, and quite obviously thinking about that mysterious man. "Hey, snap out of it!"

"Sailor Moon?"

Moon heard Naru's voice and turned around. "Are you okay, Naru?"

Naru gasped at that. "How do you know my name?"

Moon flinched as she realized her mistake, but found a way out of it quickly enough. "We Senshi know everything."

* * *

"Are you sure this is the only way?"

"You must not interfere with today's battle."

Hakko looked at the woman, his face as unreadable as hers. "So you're asking me to let them be killed by those two?"

"I'm asking you to wait until I consider it safe for you to act, Kyo."

"Such a sacrifice, for what? For that illusion of yours?"

"I never thought I would see you mocking my mission, Master Hakko."

Hakko shook his head. "I apologize, Setsuna, I know I'm being selfish. It's just that I would rather not see any of them die."

Pluto nodded at him. "Trust me, if I didn't know what could happen if I stop this battle, I would stop it myself."

"It must be hard to stay sane, with such a burden on your shoulders."

"I'm a Senshi, Hakko. Honestly, I doubt any of us, past or future, could be really considered 'sane' by most standards."

Hakko smiled as he heard that. "I didn't know you could joke."

"I can, but I wasn't joking this time," Pluto said. "You should head there now, before it's too late. Farewell."

Hakko stood there for a second, as Pluto vanished, then stood up and run down the street, as fast as his feet could take him.

* * *

Usagi was back at home, quite aware her adventure had not been a dream. They had found Naru's mother locked up in the basement, had explained her what had happened in the shop, and left. It felt good being a heroine, but fighting that monster had been quite scary.

"We Senshi know everything, huh?"

Usagi stuck her tongue at Luna. "Hey, what else could I say? 'I'm Usagi'?"

"That's true. Your secret must not be known," Luna said, "as you saw today, the youma can disguise themselves as humans. Next one could be disguised as someone you know and trust."

"All right then, I don't really understand everything about what's going on, but I'll do my best!"

"That's the spirit, Usagi," Luna said.

"And if I keep on fighting those monsters, Tuxedo Kamen will show up again," Usagi added, with a silly smile as she stared out the window.

Luna shook her head. "Should have guessed that..."

* * *

The enemy's target had been a metro station. When the two heroes got in, they saw dozens of civilians spread around the area. "We apologize for interrupting your meal, ladies, but we must kindly ask you to stop attacking the citizens."

Aurite looked at Zero in an almost condescending way. "And we must kindly ask you to not intrude into our mission, unless you want to die, human."

_'You know the plan,'_ Nova 'said' in Zero's mind.

And he did know the plan. He rushed forwards, jumping at Aurite and connecting with a kick to the stomach which dragged the General back several inches. "Uhm, you should be doubling over in pain right now," he commented.

"Don't think I'm weak like you, human," Aurite snapped. "I will play along, however."

"Go ahead, hit me," Zero snapped back.

Aurite let out a snarl and charged, swinging a magic-charged fist at Zero. The ninja, however dodged to the side, and Aurite's fist ended up hitting the wall behind him... And punching a hole into it. "You moved."

Zero flinched as he looked at the hole left by her fist. "And I'm damn glad I did."

Meanwhile, Luminite was wondering why Nova wasn't attacking. "Hey, what's the matter with you, girl? If you don't fight me, I'll help Aurite with that loser."

"That 'loser' run a sword through you," Nova said with a smile, "so I suppose your friend should be careful."

Luminite smiled back. "I'm not worried about her. I'll help her once I'm done with you!"

Nova saw Luminite run to her, but didn't move. She waited calmly, until the youma hit her invisible psi wall, and chuckled. "The fact you can't see my attack, doesn't mean I'm not attacking you. I thought you learnt that last time we fought."

"Damn you, girl, I'm going to..." Luminite started, then froze. No, this bitch was doing it again, her muscles weren't responding! "I'm... Not... Going to let you do that... Again."

Nova's smile turned mocking as she saw Luminite vanish. Just as planned. She heard the surprised yelp behind her, as an updraft blast of psi energy knocked Luminite back and away. "And I'm not going to let you do that again, either."

The General stood up and laughed. It wasn't a mocking laughter, she was genuinely amused by this. "Damn it, I never thought I would say this, but you're good, human. It's a pity we'll have to kill you and your friend. Aurite!"

Aurite had been waiting for that, her fight against this 'ninja' was just a game for her. "Got it," she shouted back, then turned to Zero. "I'm sorry, boy, but the game's over."

Zero pulled his swords out and smiled. "Let's do this."

"You'll do nothing," Aurite snapped, and a second later, two golden rings of energy shot from the ground, knocking Zero away. She saw the ninja fall unconscious and frowned. _'That should have killed him... Guess Kunzite's right, our lack of practice did make us weaker.'_

Nova had seen this, and knew it wasn't good. Terry was alive, yes, but if these two women defeated her, then everything was over. "You've hurt him."

"Yeah, that was the idea, girl."

"That was your last mistake," Nova said, her voice almost a growl, as her pupils went white, and her hands lit up.

"Okay, she didn't do that before," Luminite mused, waiting for her attack. She realized, a second too late, that the real attack wasn't coming from her hands. "Aurite, watch out!"

But Aurite was already down to her knees. What kind of magic was this? Wind? Gravity? No, this was something else, her _mind_ was in pain, not her body. "What... Are you?"

"Wish I knew," Nova said, "all you need to know, is that I will not let you monsters hurt anyone else."

Luminite smiled. Nova was attacking them both, yes, but most of her rage seemed to be focused on Aurite. And while Luminite's mind was hurting quite a lot, she knew she had to deal with it, and to stay silent until she was ready. Question was, would Aurite stay conscious long enough for that?

"See, that magic of yours may be strong, and I admit it's dangerous, but my powers are a bit more direct. I don't need to damage the body at all. I can destroy your mind. I don't like to use this much power, but you... You deserve it, monster."

"Such a nice speech," Aurite said, noticing even speaking was hurting her, "but you forgot one little detail..."

"And that is?" Nova asked.

"Me," Luminite shouted from the side. Before Nova could turn to her, she had already shot a couple energy blasts, knocking Nova into a wall.

"Nova!"

Aurite looked to the side and sighed. "Oh great, the boy's up. Luminite, finish that bitch. I will deal with her boyfriend."

Zero staggered up. His whole body was aching, and he knew his arms were bleeding, but just looking at Nova was enough for him to keep on fighting. "Leave her alone!"

Aurite stood between him and Luminite. "You shouldn't have awakened, kid. Now you will see her die, and you will soon follow."

Zero put all his focus in Aurite. He dashed to her, and saw Aurite preparing to block his swords (with her bare hands!) but he didn't unsheath them, instead tackling Aurite and knocking her back, straight into Luminite. As the two women fell, he run to check on Nova. "Hana?"

Nova was lying limp on the ground, a line of blood running down from her mouth. That barrage of attacks had been too much for her body, and she was still awake only because she didn't want to leave him alone against those two monsters. "Terry, I..."

"Die, human!"

Zero heard the shout, but as he turned, ready to block whatever they were throwing at him, he saw Aurite and Luminite fall to their knees. "What..."

"It seems I didn't make it in time," Hakko said as he walked past the two women, sheating his swords.

"Who the Darkness are you?" Aurite snapped.

"Someone who decided to come take a look at his student. You two should leave before I show you what I can do if I fight for real."

Luminite's eyes widened at that. Did he mean whatever he had hit them with moments ago was a weak attack? She didn't want to stay and learn what this human (if he was even human) could do. "Aurite, let's go."

"We have to make sure those two will not interfere," Aurite said.

"Don't worry, they won't stay in this country," Hakko said calmly.

"What do you mean we won't stay?" Zero snapped. He had no strength left to stand up, but he still tried to do just that.

"Zero, Nova needs you right now. I'll take care of those two," Hakko said.

Zero looked at him, then the two youma, and nodded. "I get it. Thanks."

Hakko walked to the two women. Humans or not, these women were built a lot like normal humans, so he knew what nerves to touch in order to make their limbs stop working. They were far from a threat right now, but he couldn't tell Terry that. "Your group's been mostly active in Japan, right?"

"We don't have to tell you anything, human."

"True, you don't. I already know many of the details. Whatever you're looking for, it's there, in Tokyo. The attacks here and in London are just distractions to make the Senshi split." He was saying all that not for the youma, but for Terry. "So you two don't need to worry about a thing. I'm sure if you go back there, my student will follow you gladly."

Luminite frowned. "I suppose we should give our strategy some more thought."

Aurite nodded, still glaring at the man. "We will meet again, human, and next time you will die."

Hakko turned as the two women vanished. "Been there, heard that."

Zero had listened to all he had said, but his attention was mostly focused on Nova. "Hana, hang in there. We'll take you to a hospital, and..."

Nova smiled sadly. "I'm sorry, Terry, but I'm..."

"No! You have to get through this!"

Hakko looked at the two, then knelt besides Terry. "She's right, boy."

"Shut up."

"I underestimated them," Nova said, "they're strong. They're too strong for me."

"I'm going to kill them. Kill each and every one of them."

"If you go after them, you could die..."

"I'll make sure he doesn't," Hakko said.

"You can't stop me from going after them."

"I could, if I wanted to," Hakko noted.

"I wish I could help you," Nova said.

Terry removed his mask and looked at her "Hana, please..."

"I'm just glad... I met you."

He froze as he realized Hana wasn't breathing anymore. "Hana..."

Hakko idly noticed the girl's clothing had reverted to a normal outfit, and he also heard Terry's badly concealed sobs. He stood up and took a look around. There was more than enough evidence of the fight, so rumors were sure to spread. "Let's go."

"I want to stay here for a while," Terry said.

Hakko froze in his place for a second. He was sure he had never heard the boy sound so emotionless. Then again, he couldn't really blame him for that. "I will go and call some ambulances, the victims will surely need to be hospitalized."

Terry said nothing as the man left. Right now, he only cared about one of the victims. "I won't rest until that Luminite monster is dead, Hana."

* * *

Hakko put his swords down and nodded at his disciple. "You've improved."

"I guess I just needed the right motivation," Terry said with a scowl.

"She wouldn't like seeing you like this."

"I know."

"So, you're leaving for Japan tomorrow," Hakko said, "do you even know where to start searching?"

"Yes, the Senshi have been mostly spotted in Juuban, so my best guess would be going there."

"What about your father?"

"He doesn't fully agree with this, but I guess... He knows I can be stubborn."

"Just like his wife."

Terry smiled at that. "I guess that's true. Are you going to help me?"

"This is not my battle," Hakko said, "but I was planning on going back home in a few months."

Terry smiled. "I'll take that as a 'maybe,' then. Anything else I should know about these youma?"

"And why do you think I know anything about them?" Hakko asked, and kept his poker face for a minute as Terry glared at him. "I can tell you this much... You will be bringing a sword to a gunfight."

"I'm going to bring a few other things to that gunfight, actually," Terry said. "Can you teach me what you did... That day?"

The boy was still reliving that day in his mind, and Hakko knew it. "I wish I could, but you will need a lot of practice before you can even start understanding how I did it."

"Thought so," Terry said with a sigh.

"It's time for me to leave, so... Good luck, boy."

Terry waited until the man was several meters away before smiling. "See you soon, Kyo."

Hakko stopped and turned to him with a half smile. "That's Master Hakko for you, boy."

Terry nodded and walked back to the house. His smile vanished as he got close to it, and he felt those memories returning. He was sure they wouldn't leave until he did what he had to do, until Luminite was dead.

* * *

The dark gray cat watched her target. Yes, this was the one, one of the soldiers. She had to hurry and tell her about her mission, because youma were already active. They had to find the Princess before the youma did, and for that they would need all the Senshi they could gather.

* * *

**A/N:** In the original plans, there were going to be two chapters, first Hana's death, then Sailor Moon's awakening. However, they would run a bit too short for my liking if written as separate chapters, so I decided to fuse them into one.


	6. Demon Hunters

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom**

**Episode 6: Demon Hunters.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: January 12, 2010_

* * *

Artemis was exploring the house. Well, 'house' was a bit of an understatement, comparing the Diamond residence to Minako's house. He found it rather silly to have a house this large for only a dozen humans, but he couldn't shake the feeling there was something else about this house he wasn't seeing. Maybe it was just his mind being stubborn, but he could feel a hint of mana around him, a faint trace of magic.

His mind drifted as he walked the many corridors. There was something else bothering him. Demon Hunter Sigma. He had known what that meant for a while now, the Demon Hunters were a group of mages who dealt with evil beings, but he couldn't remember anything beyond that. Were they allies of the Senshi? Was this Sigma like them, or was he just using the name to deceive them? He couldn't be sure. Sigma seemed to always show up at the right time and place. Almost as if he knew what Kunzite was planning beforehand... Or maybe he was stalking Venus.

"There you are, Art."

Artemis saw Minako walk to him and smiled. She had been fighting Kunzite for a few months now, but outside the 'battlefield' she was still the same. Carefree, naive, somewhat lazy... But that didn't bother him now as it had at first.

"Say, what do you think of Brad?"

That caught Artemis' attention. "Hmm? What about him?"

"I... I think I like him."

"You _think_ that? From the way you act whenever he's around, you couldn't make it more obvious if you had a neon sign on your head."

"Hmph, fine, be that way. I was being serious, you know?"

Artemis saw Minako stomping off and sighed in defeat. "Wait, Mina... What is this about Brad?"

Minako stopped and turned, cooling down as she realized Artemis was interested in her theory. "You know... Sigma had this strange accent back in Tokyo, I couldn't really place it, but when he showed up here, he was speaking flawless English. I'm guessing he wasn't Japanese."

The Mooncat stared at the girl in awe. "I... I hadn't noticed that."

"See, I can be smart too," Minako said and stuck her tongue out.

"I suppose you can, once in a while," Artemis admitted, causing Minako to give him a short glare. "What's that have to do with Brad?"

"Brad was in Tokyo, and left for England at the same time I did. And I somehow end up where he lives. And now Sigma seems to know exactly where Kunzite is attacking, haven't you noticed?"

"I have," Artemis said, almost certain of what the girl was thinking.

"I may be just making up stuff, but what if Brad _is_ Sigma?"

"That would certainly explain a lot about this place," Artemis admitted.

"Huh? What about the place?"

"You know I can sense mana by now."

"Magic energy, yeah, you told me that."

"And I'm sensing some of it in this house. It's a little too much to be residual mana, like what I can sense all the time outside."

Minako scanned the corridor with her eyes and then looked at the cat. "You mean there's magicians in this house?"

"Maybe it's just Sigma," Artemis noted, "but we can't be sure. There's a slight chance Sigma is working for the Dark Kingdom."

"That can't be true. He's saved my life and _yours_ several times."

"That he did. But why is he being so covert about this?"

"Maybe because he knows he's not supposed to know what he knows. You know the saying, if it's not fixed, don't break it."

Artemis blinked a few times before shaking his head. "It's 'if it's not broken, don't fix it,' Mina."

Minako waved his correction off. "Yeah, I guess you could say it that way, too."

* * *

"Firefly!"

Luminite saw the swarm of small fire bolts heading her way and laughed. "Really now, human... Is that all you can do?"

"I'm just the distraction, and guess what, you got distracted."

"Gale Shot!"

The concentrated 'bullet' of wind hit Luminite from the side, knocking her down. "Hmph, that brat again."

"Aqua Drop!"

Just as she was about to stand up, Luminite was knocked back down by a blast of water. This was looking bad, she couldn't take on three of these brats alone. Where the heck was Aurite?

"Grim Edge."

Aurite landed right besides Luminite, staggering up slowly. "Those brats are too strong. Retreat!"

Luminite found herself alone against the three Senshi and the magician, and sighed in defeat. "We'll kill you next time, kids."

Saturn looked at the spot where Luminite had been standing, her glaive still shining from the blast she was preparing. "I suppose this is our victory."

"They drained many civilians before we arrived."

Uranus turned to Pluto, who had just appeared near the others. "Can't be helped. We need to keep an eye on the city, next time we'll get them before they can even start gathering energy."

Pluto nodded. "We can't let them steal too much energy."

"Why did they only show up today? We've been here for a few weeks," the 'mage' said.

"They wanted to make sure the previous threat to their plans was gone."

"Can't we track them down?" Uranus asked. "If we knew where they attack from..."

"We can try," Pluto said, "I think Orion has a few ways to do it."

The mage, Orion, smiled at that. "Beholder."

The three Senshi looked at the small eye floating in front of him. "What is that thing?" Neptune asked.

"A spy spell. It can be used to look into a building before going in, or to track down someone... But for that, it needs to get their 'scent,' their magic aura," Orion explained.

"Demon Hunters are full of tricks," Saturn admitted.

Orion nodded at her. "But our spells are comparatively weak. You Senshi focus in one element, and thus can have spells far more powerful than any a Demon Hunter could use."

"Enough chatting," Neptune said, "the police should be here soon."

Pluto stood there for a minute as her protegees run out of the area. "A Demon Hunter has limited mana to work with," she said, mostly to herself, "but I wonder what a Demon Hunter who is also a Senshi could be able to do?"

* * *

"Hello, Minako."

"Good morning, miss Diamond."

The woman shook her head at that. "I've told you to call me Amber."

Minako smiled apologetically. "Sorry."

"If you're looking for Brad, he's in his 'training room' right now." Amber noticed the girl's cat staring at her and smiled. "I've said it before, but it's still true... You sure gave your pet a curious name."

Minako nodded. "Well, I like it, and think it fit him."

Amber looked out the window. "I see. Say, Minako... You like Brad, don't you?"

Minako blushed at that. "I..."

"I'll take that as a yes," Amber mused. "I think you're quite a nice girl, myself, and I know he likes you too."

"But he's much older than me..."

"Older? Three years is not that much, dear. My husband was nine years older than me."

"Oh, I didn't know... Wait, 'was'?"

"He died a few years ago," Amber said, her tone turning sad for a moment, "but don't worry about that right now. Brad will be happy to see you, I bet."

* * *

As soon as they were a safe distance away from the room, Minako looked at Artemis. "Why where you staring at her like that?"

"I had never been that close to that woman," Artemis explained. "The faint trace of mana I mentioned earlier..."

"It's coming from her, right?" Minako finished. "So that means..."

"She's a mage, but she's keeping her powers concealed. The trick's not perfect, or I wouldn't be able to sense anything at all."

"What about Brad?"

"Let's check on him," Artemis sugested, "nothing to lose, right?"

Minako didn't really hear him, but was heading to where Brad was right now. She had a lot of questions in her mind, and she wanted answers.

* * *

Brad was in the middle of sparring with one of his younger sisters when Minako walked in. "Mina, good morning."

"Morning," Minako said.

"Tia, I think that'll be all for today's training."

The girl smiled at him. "Sure, I'll leave you two lovebirds alone."

Minako giggled as Brad glared at the girl's back. "Must be nice having siblings."

"Oh sure, it's wonderful," Brad said, his tone dripping sarcasm.

Minako looked at Artemis, who gave her a slight nod. She understood what he meant and turned serious. "Brad, I... I like you, but I don't think I can keep up with this charade anymore."

"Charade, what are you..."

"I know you know everything about me, Brad. Or should I call you _Sigma_?"

Brad stared at her for a few seconds before he burst out laughing. Minako looked at Artemis in shock. Maybe they were wrong after all?

"This is just crazy... Mom was sure you two would never figure it out. Guess she underestimated you."

"Brad?"

"You got me, Mina. I know who you are, Sailor V, or rather, Sailor Venus. And of course I know about your guardian as well."

"Good," Artemis said, "I was rather tired of having to play the normal cat act all day long."

"Now, what was that about liking me?"

"I need to know what side you're on first."

"I'm a Demon Hunter. Doesn't that mean anything for you?"

"... Not really." Minako admitted. "See, I know I'm supposedly a reincarnated warrior from the past, but I have no memory of that time. And Art here, well, he doesn't remember much more than I do."

"Oh, so mom was right about that. And I think she can explain what our group's about far better than me."

* * *

Amber's face was neutral while Brad told her what had happened minutes earlier, but then she turned to Minako with a warm smile. "I must admit Brad is quite right, I underestimated your ability to sense magic."

"I was the one sensing your magic," Artemis said, "Minako worked on wild guessing alone."

"How come I can't sense her magic when she's not transformed?" Brad asked.

Artemis shrugged. "A Senshi's magic cloak is incredibly strong. That, and Minako here is just a Planet Senshi."

"Oh, I see. Do you really think that will be enough?"

"There are a few other Senshi out there, and more will be awakened sooner or later," Artemis explained, "and the enemy, well, they seem to have been out of action for too long, their power is far lower than it should be."

"I lucked out," Minako said with a smile. "But Art, what is that about Planet Senshi?"

"That's how the first, weakest form of a Senshi was called," Amber explained, surprising both Artemis and Minako. "If I am to take the legends I've heard about your kin literally, then your power will grow exponentially. Given enough combat experience and training, a Senshi could, in theory, destroy a planet."

Minako stared at Amber in shock. "You... You're kidding, right?"

"There was an old legend about the asteroid belt. It was, they say, formed by the final sacrifice of a Senshi, who chose to destroy the planet and herself before letting a powerful evil spread across all the other planets."

"The more I know about these powers," Minako said, "the more I wonder if I'm really up to the task."

"You are," Brad said, "you may fight like a novice, but once that's fixed..."

"I was meaning to ask this," Minako said, "is everyone in your family a magician?"

"Yes, each and every one of my children is part of the Demon Hunters. But there's other Demon Hunters beside us."

"Where?"

"We are the Europe section," Brad explained, "but there's two other main sections, in Japan and the United States. There's also small groups in other places. Someone had to keep the Earth in one piece until the Senshi returned."

"I have a request," Amber said suddenly, "I've heard about your power but I have yet to see it myself."

Minako looked at Artemis, who nodded at her. "Okay, I don't see any harm since you already know who I am." She took her transformation wand and smiled. "Venus Planet Power!"

As the transformation ended, Amber stared at the girl. "Amazing, your mana gathering ability is better than that of the best Demon Hunter I've known."

"From what I can recall, the Senshi were always that way," Artemis noted, "they passively drain mana from their surrounding, which makes it far easier to call on their spells during combat."

"And the higher their level, the higher their mana reserves get," Brad guessed.

"That's correct," Artemis admitted, "from what I remember, the Moon Princess, whom we are supposed to find, was one of the strongest Senshi ever born."

"But we have no idea who she is," Venus added.

"So, why are you here?" Brad asked.

"To trick a trickster," Venus said.

Amber rose an eye at that. "You mean..."

Artemis nodded. "Kunzite wanted to drag us all the way here so his allies would have free reign over Tokyo. But we already knew there were other Senshi around."

"Those Senshi have apparently moved to the States," Amber noted.

"Yes, but there's a new group in Tokyo," Artemis explained, "we just have to keep Kunzite here until the Tokyo group finds the Princess."

* * *

Usagi walked into the classroom and let out a relieved sigh. Miss Haruna wasn't there yet, so that meant she had managed to get there in time. "Whew..."

"Today's definitely a day for strange events," Umino commented as Usagi sat down.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you getting here before the teacher, for one," Umino explained.

"Hey, I'm not _always_ late," Usagi noted.

"As a matter of fact..." Naru started, but then fell silent.

Usagi groaned in defeat. Umino was a pest, even though he was one of her best friends. "So, what else is 'strange' today?"

"Didn't hear the rumors?" Umino asked. "There's a new student in our class."

Usagi frowned. That was hardly enough to start any rumor. "And?"

"And he's the son of Zephyr Robotics' owner."

The blonde stared at Umino. "So?"

"You don't know about Zephyr? They're famous overseas. The family's quite wealthy, from what I know."

"I wonder what a rich boy's doing in our school?" Naru pondered.

"Is he cute?" Usagi asked.

Umino shrugged. "How would I know?" Right then, a boy walked in, seemingly upset. He was tall, and definitely not Japanese. "That must be him."

Usagi looked at him. Yeah, he was quite cute, but he'd look far better if he stopped scowling.

The boy sat down on the desk right behind Usagi's, which was the only one still not occupied. _"What's with them, I'm no rockstar."_

Umino smiled at that. _"That's Japanese teenagers for you, Zephyr."_

Terry was surprised that the other boy knew English. Sure, his accent was noticeable, but so was his in Japanese. "So they're just as crazy as the ones back home."

"Not all girls are like that," Usagi noticed.

"I suppose not," Terry said.

"My name's Usagi Tsukino," Usagi added.

"_Rabbit_ huh? Amusing name."

"No, my name's Usagi."

"That 's what _Rabbit_ means in English," Terry said.

"Why the constant scowl?" Naru asked, then noticed Umino flinching.

"That's something I'd rather not talk about with strangers."

"Huh?"

Terry didn't say anything else. Usagi was curious as to what had happened, but she decided against being pushy. She'd have to ask Umino about it later, since he apparently knew.

* * *

Venus looked around. "So, what now?" she had followed Amber outside the mansion, to the rather large backyard, but she wasn't sure what the woman wanted. Also, she had always wondered why the backyard had no flowers or plants, but something told her she was about to find out.

"I wanted to test just how much power you have in that form," Amber said, "and I know better than shooting magic inside the house, unlike some of my children," she looked at Tia as she said that, and the girl looked down at her own feet.

"But my attacks could hurt you."

"I'll take that risk," Amber said, "but don't think I'm defenseless. I taught Brad everything he knows, and there's still plenty of things I have to teach him."

"Mother, don't overdo it," Brad warned.

Amber smiled. "So, Sailor Venus, if you would kindly attack me..."

Venus looked at Brad. "Are you guys okay with this?"

Tia smiled. "I can't wait to see if Prime Huntress Hades can really fight against a Senshi."

"If Venus was at her strongest level, then I'm sure I wouldn't stand a chance," Amber admitted, "but this may be a different story."

Venus sighed. "Okay, if you insist... Crescent Beam!"

Amber smiled. "Shell." She looked as the beam bounced off the invisible barrier she had set, and then at Venus. "You didn't aim for any vital organ."

"I know."

"Let's see how you handle defense," Amber said. "Stone Arrow."

Venus didn't know where the attack was coming from, and thus had no time to dodge. However, she felt the large triangle-shaped stone hit her back, but it caused her no harm. "What..."

Amber laughed softly. "Legends are indeed right. That battle armor of yours is very strong."

Venus stared at her in confusion. "Armor?"

"Your Senshi suit," Brad explained. "It's imbued with an unknown spell, which greatly diminishes enemy attacks."

"Had your suit been just normal fabric, and had you been just a normal human," Tia added, "you would have been pierced through by that stone."

Venus paled. "Wow, you guys are that powerful?"

Artemis flinched. "But that attack only had about half the power of your Crescent Beam."

Venus made the connection quite fast. "I understand. I'm never going to use my attacks against a human being."

"There are other attacks you can use in such a situation" Amber explained, "but I'm no expert in Senshi magic. Besides, each Senshi has a different set of techniques, so only you would know the right words."

"I wish I could 'level up' already."

"Be patient," Brad said, "besides, what are you complaining about? You've been using magic for two months, and already have stronger attacks than me, and I've been using it for five years."

"Jealous?" Venus asked.

"Firewave."

Amber saw Venus get swallowed by a wave of flames, and looked at Brad. "That was quite rude, son."

Venus looked at her arms as the attack passed, and smiled. "Amazing."

"Thanks, I trained quite a bit to use that one," Brad said.

"No, I meant, it's amazing how I barely felt the heat."

Brad smirked. "Cute. Want to turn back to normal and try again?"

"No thanks, I'll pass."

* * *

"Hey, wait!"

Terry looked back and sighed. He had decided to walk back home to have some time to think, but apparently that was a moot point now. "What's the matter, Usagi?"

"My house's down this road, too," Usagi said.

"I see."

Usagi blinked. Terry was rather cold, but if what Umino had told her was true, then she could understand.

"Let me guess, you heard the rumors?"

That took her out of her line of thought. "Yes, about your girlfriend..."

"So, you also want to know if I'm available?" Terry said, coldly.

Usagi stopped for a second, then glared at him. "I was actually worried about you, but if you're going to be a jerk, then see you at school."

Terry saw Usagi walk past him and sighed. Maybe this girl was just trying to be friendly. "Wait, Usagi."

"What?"

"You said you're worried about me? Why? You don't even know me."

"I just like helping others," Usagi said.

"I don't think you can help me, sorry."

Usagi sighed. "Yeah, I can't even imagine how that must feel. So, are the rumors true?"

"I don't know what the rumors are. My girlfriend was murdered, that's all."

Usagi bit her lip. She had heard a lot more, but rumors could often be misleading. "So, why come to Japan?"

"It's here."

"Huh?"

"Your house. That's your last name in the mailbox, isn't it?"

"Oh..." Usagi smiled as she realized he was right. "See you tomorrow, then."

"Sure, _Rabbit_."

Usagi watched him go and shook her head. What a weird guy.

* * *

"Jadeite, is your next plan ready?"

"Yes, my Queen. Humans seem to have a thing for unhealthy food, "fast food" as they call it, even though they know it may kill them. I've set up a place to sell such food, and we will begin draining the customers today."

"I hope this isn't another failure, Jadeite. My patience's running short."

"I am aware of that," Jadeite said, "I shall not fail."

"Heard that before," Beryl noted as Jadeite vanished.

* * *

Zero looked at the building from atop a tree. A normal fast food restaurant at first sight, but he was getting the same kind of energy readings the two women had. That meant either they were there, or one of their kin. He could just beat the crap out of whoever it was until they told him where Luminite was.

"It's time to..." He stopped as he recognized one of the customers. "That's Usagi? What is she..." He saw everyone inside the building was out cold, and Usagi was right now shouting something at the woman behind the counter. "So the youma are there." The woman turned into a creepy, blue creature whose armor was apparently made out of fries. "I'll give them points for originality," he added with a smirk.

"Moon Prism Power!"

Zero's eyes widened. The transformation took only a moment, but he knew who this was. He had seen the photos of this Senshi, Sailor Moon. Some said she was the strongest warrior of her group. However, seeing how all she was doing was dodging the enemy's attacks, he couldn't really tell if she was a warrior or just a scared girl.

Suddenly, a rose fled through the window, slicing the monster's side just as it was about to stab Moon through with her rather sharp-looking claws. Zero looked on as a man wearing a tuxedo and top hat (along with a cape,) gave a rather inconsequential speech about monsters having no right to feed on those who were feeding. However, during that speech, he noticed Moon had moved right behind the somehow distracted monster, and had taken her tiara off her head.

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Zero's mind was quite busy trying to process what had just happened. The tiara had lit up, and the girl (after a few spins) had tossed it _right through the youma's chest_. "I see, what she lacks in combat abilities, she makes up for in magic power."

The tuxedo man (who should be that "Tuxedo Kamen" he had heard about,) had vanished as soon as the monster died, and Zero could see Moon looking around the store then saying something to a cat. The strange thing was, the cat was apparently talking back, though he couldn't hear what they were saying.

The girl left after turning back to normal, along with the cat, and Zero was left with far more questions than before. He needed to keep an eye on Usagi, to see who the other Senshi were, and then...

And then, what? He wasn't sure of it. Usagi seemed to easily trust him as Terry, but would she be just as trusty towards Zero? He didn't know for sure, and after seeing what the girl could do, he wasn't sure he would survive if they confused him for a youma. He had to earn their trust first.

* * *

**A/N:** I'm re-uploading all previous episodes along with this one, to fix several errors I (and some readers) noticed... And also, to add the "Act" name to them. For those wondering, unlike how Cyber Moon was set up, this "book" will cover only up to Galaxia's arc. But that doesn't meant the story will end there.

And I hope someone did catch the pun in the new name of Terry's father's company.

_DavisJes_: There is no Book 2. At least, not yet. I'll finish the first two books when I get inspired to write for them, since I'm planning to make the arcs set in the past a lot longer than in Cyber Moon Genesis.


	7. Flower Power

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 7: Flower Power.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: January 27, 2010_

* * *

Artemis watched as Minako rushed in, seemingly shocked. "Minako, what's wrong?"

"I'm going on a date."

"And that's bad because...?"

"I've never done it before."

The cat shook his head. "Well, that's not something I can help you with."

Minako sat on her bed and let out a long sigh. "What, never dated anyone either?"

"No."

"Why, wasn't there anyone you liked?"

"None of your business," Artemis said with a slight blush.

"Oh, so there was!"

"Besides, for all I know, she could be long gone," he added, looking down.

Minako flinched. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," Artemis said, "I don't really know for sure. You just go and enjoy your date."

Minako looked at the clock and smiled. "I gotta get ready for that, so..."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm leaving," Artemis muttered as he walked out of the room.

* * *

Jadeite looked at the small flower resting on his hand. "Humans love these plants, specially the females. I have set up a flower shop and my youma's ready to start draining the customers."

"Do not fail me again, Jadeite."

"I won't," Jadeite said and vanished.

Two other Generals were watching from the shadows. "I hope he doesn't fail again."

"Why not? If that happens, Nephrite, you may be the next one. After all, you're the only one not busy at the moment."

"Not busy?" Nephrite looked at Aurite with a glare. "I'm searching for the Ginzuishou, so I'm not sure diverting my attention would be wise at this time."

"I see your point. Maybe you could ask for Zoicite's help."

Nephrite turned to leave. "That's not going to happen."

* * *

"Are you sure you don't need my help?"

Kunzite looked at the brown-haired General and smiled. "Yes. After all, I already know V is not the Princess."

"Then why...?"

"Because it will be easier to kill her if she's alone, Zoicite. Sigma's presence is of no consequence."

Zoicite smiled. "As usual, you're planning ahead."

"How's your search going?"

"Not good," Zoicite said, "neither me or Nephrite could find anything yet."

"That's bad. If we had the Ginzuishou, then their Princess would be useless."

"I know. I will try to find it as soon as possible, my dear Kunzite."

* * *

"Youma attacks are becoming rather sparse."

"That's true," Setsuna admitted, "but we can't let our guard down."

Hotaru sighed. "We've been close to killing Luminite. I've only held back because of what you said."

"And I thank you for that. She will be dealt with, but not right now," the older woman said, then turned to the others. "Haruka, Michiru, you two won't be fighting here anymore."

"Why?" Haruka asked. She was sure she would never figure out what was in Setsuna's mind.

"There is another threat, one that needs to be supressed. The best way to deal with that is to send you two there."

"But what about Aurite and Luminite?" Michiru started.

"Leave those two witches to me," Hotaru said in her usual monotone voice, "if I can't handle them, Setsuna will help."

"Sure, forget about me," Kage muttered.

"I'm not, but your usefulness in battle is rather limited, specially against the Generals."

Kage smiled at that. "Brutally honest, as usual. I like that about you."

"Thanks, I guess," Hotaru said, her face not showing any sign of emotion.

"Don't you ever smile?"

"No."

Kage sighed. "I should have guessed you would say that."

Michiru looked at Haruka. "I think we can leave Aurite to these two. They sure get along."

* * *

Usagi could at times be rather naive (and she could admit to that,) but there were things which she just couldn't miss. After almost one month fighting the youma, she could tell that, whenever there was some sort of incredible promotion at a store, or a new shop opening and selling stuff at very low prices, then the youma were behind it. So the flower shop she was looking at right now was, most likely, another of Jadeite's evil plans.

While she waited for Luna to come back from exploring it, she noticed someone else was looking at the store, and walked to him. "Terry?"

"Oh, hi there, _Rabbit_."

Usagi ignored the nicknaming. "What are you doing here?"

"I was considering buying this store," Terry said in a joking tone.

"I don't think the owner will want to sell it," Usagi said.

"Huh? I thought this shop had only opened a few days ago."

Usagi laughed nervously. "Well, you could say I'm one of her best customers."

Terry smiled to himself. "I see. Have a boyfriend you buy flowers for or something?"

Usagi blushed. "No, nothing like that."

"Hana liked flowers," Terry said, his tone serious.

"Who?"

"My girlfriend, Hana," Terry explained. "Not surprising, seeing what his name means in Japanese, right?"

Usagi smiled at that. "It's a nice name."

Terry sighed. "Yeah... I guess I'll leave before I start moping again."

Usagi saw him walk away and smiled, but then saw Luna walk to her. "So?"

"You were right, there's youma in there."

"I knew it. Let's go!"

"Shouldn't we call the others?"

Usagi looked at the cat "I took care of the last one on my own."

"I will call them, just in case," Luna said.

* * *

Minako was really upset right now. Brad had convinced her to go for a walk through the park after they left the restaurant, but she should have known better. She was starting to believe youma liked to interrupt her fun. "Of all the stupid places to attack..."

"See the bright side," Brad said, "we won't have to look for them."

She looked at the youma. It was a large, plantlike monster, and she could've sworn it looked like a humanoid Venus Flytrap. Hopefully, that was just a coincidence. "Guess you're right. Let's show that bug what happens when they mess with a heroine's date!"

Brad smiled. "Sure. Sigma Seal." His clothes were replaced by his Hunter Sigma suit in a blink.

"Wow, didn't know you had a transformation phrase too," Minako noted. "All right then... Venus Planet Power!"

"Flare!"

The youma was busily draining a woman, but had to drop her as one of her vines was hit by a fire bolt, though it only surprised her. "Good, the Senshi and her pet are here. Now I can kill you."

"I'm not going to be killed by a Poison Ivy-wannabe," Sigma said.

V was angry, so she skipped the pre-battle bluffing and went straight for the kill. "Crescent Beam!"

However, the plantlike youma simply stared at the spot where the laser had hit and chuckled. "Wow, that's really the best you can do, V?"

V shrugged. "I suppose you're resistant to magic. That's neat. But you know the saying, if you can't beat them, kick them!"

Sigma was about to note the saying wasn't quite like that, but just shook his head as V tried her 'V Kick' (which was just a normal, albeit magically enhanced, jumping kick,) and failed. The youma took the chance to wrap its vines around the heroine. "Now you will die, and then that mage friend of yours will follow!"

V struggled against the vines, but the creature was stronger than her. "Hey, what the heck? Let me go, you pervert!"

"Not likely, you'll be a tasty dessert," the plantlike youma said, as its head spit in half, turning into a rather unsightly, large maw.

"Hang in there, V," Sigma said, not noticing the pun he was making, "I'll get you out in a second. Blizzard."

When the attack ended, both the youma and V were covered in a thin layer of snow. "Hey, watch it!"

Sigma looked at V. "My bad... But this creature's skin is resistant to magic, and I didn't bring a sword to our date."

"Yes, its skin is..." V started, then her eyes widened. "Wait, that's it!"

Sigma was confused for a second, until he saw V taking aim. "Smart girl." The youma realized V''s intent as well, but couldn't close its giant maw in time.

"Crescent Beam!" The laser hit its target, and the youma turned into ashes. V smiled as she turned to look at Sigma. "That'll teach that monster what happens when you tie up a girl who can fight back."

Sigma looked around the park, noticing there were dozens of people drained. "I'll go call some ambulances."

V nodded, as she also looked around. This wasn't the first time she saw so many victims, and it didn't feel like a victory to her. Sure, she had killed the weed, but she was supposed to stop people from being hurt like this.

"What's wrong?"

She almost jumped at the voice. Artemis was standing besides her now, and looking curiously at her. "Art? When did you get here?"

"I detected the youma's energy in this direction, so I decided to investigate and call you once I found out what it was... But I guess you found out on your own."

"There's times when I feel like I'm not up for this job," V admitted.

If the cat was surprised to hear that, he wasn't showing it. "Why?"

"Just look around you. If I were a better warrior, then all this people would..."

"No use worrying about the 'what if,' Mina."

Artemis looked at Sigma, who was walking to them. "That's true. You can't be everywhere, so don't blame yourself for tonight's results."

"She killed the bug, didn't she?" Sigma asked.

"Yes, but every bit of energy those youma drain puts them closer to their goal."

"And what exactly is their goal?" V had asked a few times, but Artemis had blamed his faulty memory and winged the question.

This time, however, he considered she was ready to know. "There was a god these youma worshipped, but from what I remember, it was defeated. They may be gathering all that energy in order to bring it back."

"And if they bring it back, we're screwed," Sigma guessed.

"Not quite. If we find the Princess, she will defeat that evil being."

"Let's just get out of here," V said, "I'm not in the mood for a crowd." And now she noticed there was already a crowd gathering around the park, though they were staying a fair distance away from them.

"Want to try teleporting?"

V stared at Sigma in awe. "What, you mean you can take passengers?"

Sigma nodded. "Here we go. Teleport!" And the two heroes and the small cat vanished from the park.

* * *

"You seem upset about something. What is it?"

"I'm not sure about this, what was Setsuna thinking..."

"If this is about what I said earlier, I apologize if that made you feel bad."

Kage smiled at Hotaru. "Well, it's not nice to have your flaws pointed out, but... You're right. My magic can hurt normal youma, but when it comes to those Generals, all I can do is distract them."

"Sometimes all you need to win is a distraction."

Kage frowned. Hotaru's emotionless stare was usually something he liked, but right now, he was not in the mood. "How did you know you had those powers?"

Hotaru thought about the question for a minute before answering. "I didn't 'know' about them. Of course, I've had the skill to heal myself or others fast, but I didn't know what I was."

"You never told me how you awakened your powers."

"I was walking home one day, and there was a group of men following me. I knew what they probably wanted, so I tried to run for it. Needless to say, my endurance was lower than it is now, so I didn't get too far before they caught up with me."

"Damn, that must have been scary."

"Not as much as what followed. One of the men grabbed my wrist, and as I tried to pull free, I sensed something 'stirring' in my mind. It's hard to describe, but it was almost as if there was a seal inside my mind, and I guess fear broke it."

"So, you went Senshi on their asses."

Hotaru blinked at that. "That's one way to say it, I guess. I didn't know how to control my power, and I didn't really understand it was me doing it. All I saw were these bony hands coming out from the ground and holding the men pinned, and then I saw a kind of aura around them. The aura grew thinner by the second, and I felt a rush of energy. If Pluto hadn't showed up right then and transported me out of the way, I would have probably killed them."

Kage flinched at that. And, even for a split second, he was sure he had seen a hint of doubt in her eyes. "So she took you elsewhere?"

"Yes, she took me to the Gate and told me who I was, what I was meant to do. I must admit I didn't quite believe her, and I was shocked by what had happened. I think I spent a day in that place, as Setsuna told me just how to control my newfound powers."

"That's quite a story. I know Michiru and Haruka had a far easier start..."

"Yes, but for some reason, Setsuna's trained them a lot harder than me."

"Well, you can't really fight for long, so..."

"I know, I've been working on that."

"Since I'm here, I could help you train. And who knows, if you shoot me with enough death beams, you may just trigger my own powers."

Hotaru smiled at that. "That's a possibility."

Kage's eyes widened. "Wow..."

"What?"

"You smiled. Didn't think you could do that."

"I don't usually have any reasons to," Hotaru said, her face back to her 'normal' emotionlessness.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the other side of the planet, a battle was about to start. "Stop it right there!"

The woman in charge of the flower shop smiled. "Welcome to Red Orchid. How may I be of service?"

Moon glared at the woman. "Drop the act, youma."

The woman let out a high-pitched laugh. "If you insist, Sailor Moon, then I will have to kill you." Her body changed swiftly, her skin turning a sickly shade of green, as her clothes were replaced by large flower petals. "I am Orkidus, one of Jadeite's strongest soldiers!"

Moon smiled, "flowers aren't dangerous."

"Do you really think that? Let me change your mind," Orkidus said. She rose her arms, and the flowers around her started walking out of their pots, some of them growing eyes, while others just grew large thorns. "Still think flowers are harmless?"

While Moon wasn't too skilled in the arts of fighting, she was rather good at dodging. And while she knew she had to use her tiara to blast this plant youma to dust, she couldn't do it with all these plants trying to gnaw at her. "Hey, not fair, you guys always cheat!"

"You call it a cheat, I'll call it winning strategy."

Moon kept on dodging, but eventually run herself into a literal corner. She saw the mutated flowers crawling to her and shook her head. There just wasn't a way to fight this one on her own. Maybe she should've listened to Luna, for a change, and waited for the others.

But just as the plants got ready to jump at her, something rushed into the store, slashing several of the mutants before they could attack. Moon looked at the newcomer, expecting to see Tuxedo Kamen. Instead, she saw a man wearing a ninja suit and pointing a sword at the youma. "Who..."

"I will not let you use flowers for your evil plans, youma."

The youma stared at the ninja. "And who might you be? You don't look like that Tuxedo loser they warned me about."

"The name's Zero."

The youma blinked then laughed. "What, they named you by your fighting skills?"

Zero smiled, even though his foe couldn't see it. "If my skills are zero, yours are even lower."

The youma growled at that, then rose her hands again. "Attack!"

Moon watched in shock as dozens of flowers all jumped at Zero. He tried his best to keep up with the attacks, but was soon overwhelmed. She couldn't let him be eaten by those plants, he had saved her, after all. "Moon Tiara..."

"Die!" the youma shouted, and more flowers rushed at Moon, interrupting her attack as she was forced to jump out of the way. "You're a joke, Sailor Moo-" the youma hissed in pain as a rose struck her arm. "Another loser?"

"Flowers are meant to smell and look beautiful. I will not forgive those who turn such beauty into evil."

Zero frowned. That guy surely loved giving dumb speeches. However, it had distracted the youma, and her minions had stopped their attack. "I think this is the part where you kill the monster, Sailor Moon."

Moon nodded at that. "Moon Tiara... Action!"

Zero shook his head and chuckled as the youma vanished, "those monsters really need some serious combat training." He decided to not comment on how Moon herself also needed them. "I guess it's time for me to..."

"Moon, are you okay?"

Moon turned to see her friends run to her and smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay, thanks to Zero."

Mars blinked at that. "Zero? Who is Zero?"

"He is..." Moon turned around to see Zero was gone. "Aw, he left." And Tuxedo Kamen had also disappeared, but that was nothing new.

Luna shrugged at that. "What's important is that you're okay, and the youma's gone."

"Next time you should wait for us," Mars scolded.

"I can fight youma on my own, Rei."

"Sure you can. You're always running around."

"Girls, calm down," Mercury said, "we're a team, remember?"

Moon nodded at that, but said nothing. She wasn't about to admit it in front of Mars, but she knew this last fight hadn't been easy. These youma seemed to be growing stronger with each attack, for some reason, and sometimes she wished they could be as easy as the first few she faced on her own... Even though, back then, they had seemed very strong to her.

* * *

Zero watched the three girls and the cat leave from atop a building. It was simply incredible. He had gathered a lot of data, but his scanner couldn't identify the type of energy Moon used, only that she was using a lot of it. Still, there was no room for skepticism in him. His girlfriend had the ability to move items with her mind, and he had always accepted it at face value, so whatever 'magic' these girls had, he could live with it. However... "That Moon girl, she really does need a lot of work before I'll call her a heroine."

But then again, his own performance today hadn't been good. What chance did he have against one of the 'bosses' if he was so easily pounded to the ground by a bunch of walking flowers? And he had seen photos, and a few videotapes of the one known as Sailor V. He knew these Senshi may look rather unskilled, but they still got the job done in the end. Maybe it was time to tell Usagi who he was, and find out what exactly these youma wanted.

* * *

"Hades, Aries, it's good to see you both again."

Only the third woman was physically in the room, as it was far easier to meet through magic than to abandon their respective areas. "Prime Huntress Sagitta, is there any clue on where the youma are coming from?" Aries asked.

"Still none. They may not be in any of the three areas."

"What's clear is that their goal is in Tokyo," Hades said. "Sailor Venus' guardian gave me that information."

"That is what Hunter Orion informed me, too," Aries admitted. "Maybe we should focus our forces there..."

"No, we will continue as we are," Sagitta said, "let the Senshi take care of their main force, and keep searching for the youma's main gateway."

* * *

**A/N:** For those who may not know: "Hana" means "flower" in Japanese.

I'll be focusing mostly in Tokyo from now on, but the other two areas won't be forgotten. As to what Haruka and Michiru will be up to, that's a surprise.

_Linata:_ Yes, I intend to have the Demon Hunters show up a lot more than in Cyber Moon, though they won't take over the story. I'm aiming for a group like the army, only more useful at times.


	8. The Love Boat

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 8: The Love Boat.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: March 4, 2010_

* * *

Terry saw Usagi run in and shook his head. Apparently, it was harder for her to get to school in time (and to study, from what he had seen thus far,) than fighting monsters. At least today she had made it in time, if only for a minute.

"Hello, _Rabbit_."

Usagi didn't comment on the nickname, but she did glare shortly at him. "Hi, Terry."

"I need to talk to you," he said.

Usagi was surprised at the sudden seriousness in his voice. "Okay, how about during lunchtime?"

"There will be a crowd there," Terry noted.

"But what exactly do you need to tell me?"

"Something I don't want anyone else to overhear," Terry said, "and that's all I'm telling inside this classroom."

Usagi decided not to press the matter any further, but still wondered. Was it about his girlfriend, or whoever had murdered her? She had no way to guess, so she would just have to wait.

"Had any further trouble with fangirls, Zephyr?" Umino asked.

"No, I hired some hitmen and had them kill whoever came too close to me without my authorization."

Umino looked at him in shock for a few seconds before speaking again. "You're joking, right?"

"Of course I am," Terry said, "I guess the fans just found a shiny new thing they could run after."

* * *

Beryl was once again listening to Jadeite's plans. She was rather upset at his constant failures, but still... The other Generals had 'failed' too, but there had been a lot of energy gathered in all three fronts. However, if Jadeite kept on failing like this, he would have to be replaced. After all, the draining in the other two fronts was just a facade to keep the Senshi separated.

"Humans in love seem to have more energy than normal," Jadeite explained, "I'm going to use this to our advantage."

"You better don't fail me again, Jadeite."

"Don't worry, I have a way to make sure the Senshi won't interfere. I'm going to use a cruise ship to take a lot of humans away from the city, and drain them once we are in the middle of the ocean."

"It does sound unlikely for the Senshi to stop you," Beryl admitted, "but still, they seem to always be at the right time, at the right place."

"I know, and I'm ready to fight them if they do interfere."

"My patience is almost gone, Jadeite. If you fail, you may be replaced by someone else."

"I shall not fail," Jadeite said with a bow, before vanishing.

* * *

"So..."

Terry looked at Usagi and smiled. He was still not sure how she would take what he was about to say, but at least the street they were walking through was empty, so he could say it without worrying about anyone listening. "I know who you are."

"I don't know what you mean by that," Usagi said, not showing any signs of being upset by his words.

Terry smiled. Right, she wouldn't just admit to it, so it was time to drop the bomb. "Okay then, what if I told you I'm Zero?"

That caused Usagi to stop walking and stare at him. He stopped a few steps ahead of her, still smiling. "You? But how..."

"It's a rather long story. I'll just say I have a bone to pick with one of these youma."

Usagi started walking again. "It was a youma, wasn't it? The one who killed your girlfriend?"

He nodded. "Her name's Luminite. There was another one, Aurite, but that bitch just kept me distracted."

"Why did they kill her?"

"She was... Well, she had psychic powers. She could move objects with her mind, she could sense living beings around her, and other things. We had been stopping crimes for a while."

"So you were super heroes? Cool."

Terry laughed at that. "I guess you could call _her_ that. As for me, all I have is my swords and some skill at using them. I've always thought of myself as a 'sidekick.'"

"I can guess what happened, then," Usagi said. "You two tried to stop the youma from draining civilians."

"We got there, both times, after they were done," Terry said, "but the second time, they were ready for us, and..."

Usagi waited for him to continue, but realized he was done. "Why did you help me?"

"I know I could say I came here only for my revenge, but that would be a lie. I want to know why these monsters are showing up, and where their boss is, so I can go kick him, her or it until I feel like stopping. So, I suppose your group's the one I should talk to."

"I guess I'll have to call Luna."

"Don't bother, I'm here."

Terry looked up at the cat, not really surprised she was speaking. "And who may you be?"

"My name's Luna, and I'm Sailor Moon's guardian. I've been following you two long enough to know your goals aren't quite the same as ours."

"Maybe if you let me know exactly what youma are after, I'll know why they did what they did."

"They want to take over the world. They already tried once, in the past, but were stopped by the Senshi."

"In the past... There is no record in history of such a thing."

Luna nodded. "That's because we're talking about at least a hundred thousand years ago."

"A prehistoric civilization, then?"

"You could call it that," Luna said, "except mankind had spread to all of the solar system, and were, in some ways, far more advanced than the humans of this era."

"Space-travelling cavemen, that's cute," Terry noted.

"Mankind lived in caves eons before that era, and I guess after the war, with their cities destroyed and nobody to lead them, they may have returned to that," Luna said with a shrug.

Usagi was rather lost by now. "But what's important is, we defeated these youma before, right? We can do it again."

"The 'you' who defeated the youma were different. They had years of combat training, and they had the Princess."

"Princess?"

Luna looked at Terry and let out a sigh. "See, the problem is, I wasn't supposed to hybernate for this long. My memory's blurred, so there's a lot of things I don't remember clearly. I don't know how the Princess looked like, only that she was the strongest warrior we had."

"Wait, then how come you guys have been scaring the youma off for months?"

"I don't know why, but youma are far weaker now than they were before. Something else must have happened, but I..."

"So they're _weak_ right now? I don't think I'll want to see them reach their full power, then."

"And they're gathering life energy from humans, in order to regain their true strength.".

"I get it. If these creeps get enough energy, they'll take over the world."

"If we find the Princess before that happens, we'll have a better chance to win," Luna said.

"I'll help you," Terry said, "but if Luminite shows up, I'm taking care of her personally."

"Revenge's not a good..."

"Save the lecture," Terry said, "I've been told that already."

"Hmph. Fine, then," Luna said, and turned to look at the girl. "Usagi, there's a place we need to investigate."

Terry smiled as the cat started walking away. "Is it a travel agency?"

That made Luna stop and turn to look at him. "What... How do you know?"

"Because of this," Terry said pointing at his wrist. The watch he had looked like a normal digital watch. "It's set to detect whatever 'magic' the youma are using, and it was going nuts near that travel agency."

Luna looked at the watch. "For you to be able to detect mana without even knowing what it is... That's pretty impressive."

Terry checked his watch. "Hmm, this must be wrong, unless you're a youma."

"That's not it," Luna muttered, "you're detecting living beings who actively use mana. I don't think that gadget can make a difference between good and evil mana."

"I don't get a word of what you two are saying," Usagi commented, "but if there's youma at that travel agency, we have to take a look around."

The mooncat nodded. "Yes, of course. Let's go."

"I'll tag along," Terry said, "maybe I'll get lucky and find Luminite."

* * *

As they got to their target, Terry could see a black-haired girl standing nearby, looking straight at the building. He knew that girl was one of Usagi's friend, so that meant she could be one of the Senshi. "If you stare at that place any harder, you'll drill a hole through it."

The girl looked at him and frowned. "Who are you?"

"He's the new student I told you about," Usagi said, then in a low voice, she added, "and he's Zero," then she continued, in her normal tone, "Terry, this is Rei Hino."

Rei nodded at that last bit of information, "nice to meet you. I was passing by when I noticed the evil aura around that place. If Luna's here, this means..."

"Here there be youma," Terry said, looking at his watch. And the strongest youma so far, if the numbers were right.

"Let's go in, then," Rei noted.

"They're giving away free romantic cruise tickets for couples," Usagi noted. "That could be fun!"

"Usagi, they're youma," Luna noted.

Rei looked at the building again. "Whoever it was, it's gone."

Terry nodded. "Still getting a reading from that place, but it's far weaker now."

"Then Usagi's idea may be right," Luna said.

Rei looked at the cat "Why?"

"The one who's in there must be a normal youma, but the one who left was most likely Jadeite."

"And their plan is actually good," Rei admitted, "dragging people away from the city, to the middle of the ocean, then draining them there."

"If we hadn't found this place, we would have no way to stop them," Luna said.

"A romantic cruise, huh?" Terry said with a blank stare. "Wait here."

"What..." Rei started, but Terry was already walking into the building. They saw him talk to the woman at the counter, and he walked out a minute later, with several tickets in his hands. "You bought all those?"

Terry looked at the dozen tickets, then shrugged "they were quite cheap, and I wasn't sure how many Senshi are in your group."

"Only three," Luna said, then rapidly added, "for now."

"And also... I figured the more tickets I buy and not use, the less victims the youma will get."

"So we'll save eight people from..." Usagi started.

"Nine," Terry said.

"What, not coming? What about your promise to help us?" Luna asked.

Terry turned around. "Hey kitty, see what kind of cruise it'll be. I'm sure you're smart enough to figure out why I'm not going."

Usagi flinched as Terry walked away. "A romantic cruise..."

Luna realized what Usagi meant right then. "Damn it. I'll be right back."

Rei had no clue what was going on. "What was all that about?"

"I'll tell you while we go get Ami," Usagi said.

* * *

He knew someone was following him, but he wasn't bothering stopping or turning around. "Go away."

"Listen, Zephyr, I'm sorry."

Terry realized who it was, but didn't look at the cat. "It's not your fault."

"But..."

He turned to look at her. "I wish I could help this time around, but I know I won't be able to keep my cool in that place."

"I understand, Zephyr," Luna said.

"Call me Terry, all my friends do."

Luna smiled at that. "Okay. Are you sure..."

"If I change my mind, I'll be there."

* * *

Later that night, the three girls and cat were 'enjoying' the cruise.

"I don't know how you two managed to drag me here," Ami said as the three explored the boat.

Rei looked out to the sea. "We're the only ones who are not in a couple here, from what I can see."

"Aww, I was hoping there would be some lonely, handsome guys aboard," Usagi complained.

"What, giving up on Tuxedo Kamen already?" Rei mused.

"Of course not," Usagi said, then looked down at the small cat. "How come people doesn't notice you?"

Luna looked up at her. "That's a special skill of mine. Only those with magic can see me while I'm using it, but it does require a bit of mana to work."

"So you can't use it indefinitely," Ami said. "Any idea where the youma is?"

"I'm not sure where exactly it is, but it's definitely in the ship," Luna said. She suddenly looked away from the ship and frowned. "The evil energy just got a lot stronger."

"That means Jadeite's here," Ami said, "we should keep our eyes open."

"Attention, passengers, please go to the party hall. We have a special show for you tonight."

"Special show, huh?" Rei noted.

"Most likely our cue," Ami said.

Usagi sighed. "I wonder how many more youma we'll have to fight before this is over?"

"No idea," Rei said, "we'll just have to take them down one at a time."

* * *

As they reached the main hall, they could see the ship's captain and a sailor girl were the only members of the crew there. "That's Jadeite," Rei noticed.

Indeed, the 'captain' was none other than Jadeite. He was giving a speech, but soon stepped back. The sailor girl looked around and smiled. "It is time for our main event!" she said as her body turned blue. A water youma?

The three girls leapt behind a table, knowing what would happen next. The crowd was all knocked unconscious, and Jadeite's hand lit up as he collected their energy.

"We have to stop him!" Usagi said. "Moon Prism Power!"

"Mars Planet Power!"

"Mercury Planet Power!"

Jadeite frowned as he saw the three Senshi were there. "How in darkness' name did they figure it out?" He turned to his youma as he kept on gathering life energy. "They have nowhere to run. Destroy them."

"It will be easy," the youma said, looking at the three girls. "Die, Senshi!"

The Senshi leapt out of the way as their enemy shot a barrage of thin water beams at them. However, they noticed the beams could punch through walls... And the room was packed full of civilians. "We can't risk fighting here," Mars noticed.

"But what will we do?" Moon said, looking around. True, she wanted to save all this people, but she had no idea what to do to stop this youma.

"We should drag her out of the room," Mercury suggested.

"What about Jadeite?"

"We'll take care of him later," Mars said.

The youma shrugged as the three girls run out of the room. "Good riddance."

Jadeite growled at her. "Didn't I tell you to kill them? Go!"

"O- Of course, Lord Jadeite!" the youma said, her face pale, before rushing out of the room.

* * *

It took the youma a minute before she found the three girls. "Hah! You can run, but you can't hide!"

"Who's running, monster?" Mars snapped. "Fire Soul!"

The youma's body turned into a puddle of water, and the attack passed right above it. "Not going to work!"

Mercury smiled. "Then what about this? Shabon Spray!"

"Oh, nice trick, however," the creature said as her body absorbed the mist, "I'm attuned to water and ice, girl." Her body had, after absorbing the Shabon Spray, grown to about twice its size. "Now, how about you just stand still and let me kill you?" However, she noticed right then that her prey had fled. "Oh, I suppose that's not an option," the creature muttered before she started searching for the trio.

The three Senshi were on the opposite side of the boat, and trying to come up with a plan. "Any idea on how to kill that thing?" Mars asked.

"From the data I have, this monster could dodge even Moon's attack. However, once it 'melts down' it takes a few seconds to reform."

Mars knew what Ami was thinking "I get it."

"I don't," Moon said.

Mars sighed. "It's quite simple, Usagi. Hit her while she's still reforming."

"Found you!" the youma snarled as it rushed around the corner. "Now, as I was saying, it's time for you to..."

"Fire Soul!"

The youma used the same trick as before. "Hah! You girls sure are stubborn."

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Just as Mercury had predicted, the creature couldn't do a thing until it had reformed, so the tiara hit it dead on, and she turned into mist.

"Well done, Moon," Luna said as she rushed in.

"Where were you?"

"I was keeping an eye on Jadeite, but he's gone."

"Damn, he used the youma as a distraction," Mars said.

"What about the victims?" Moon asked.

"They're still alive, but we should contact the coast guards and..."

"Already on it," Mercury noted.

"Good. We also need to find a way to get out without being noticed."

"Maybe we should go for a swim?" Rei joked.

"We could use one of the lifeboats," Mercury suggested.

"Why don't we just stay here?" Moon asked.

"They could blame us for this," Luna said, "I've heard a lot of rumors about us and youma, and not all humans know what side we're on."

* * *

Terry watched the news report and smiled. An anonymous call to the coast guards had led them to a cruise ship packed full of people, people who seemed out of stamina. The reporter said the cause of that condition was unknown, but Terry knew what it was. "Good to know the girls managed to stop that one. I'm really curious about what the youma will try next."

"Sir, your father sent you a package."

"Hmm? It's not my birthday yet, right Sam?"

The butler, Samuel, smiled at that. "No, not yet. This is, from what I was told, something to help you in your fight."

Terry looked at the package. His father wasn't around much, even back when he was still in the States, but he had helped him a lot. The swords he used were a gift he got when he started training. And he had a few other things that he hadn't used yet, a few surprises for the youma, all created by the company. "Okay, I guess I'll just open this and see what new toy I got."

* * *

The woman walked in and looked at the man behind the desk. "Sir, I was told you wanted to see me."

"Have you heard about the last attack?" the man said, not in the mood for formalities.

"Of course. It's obvious the Senshi were in that ship, but they left before the rescue teams got there."

"I think we need to get in touch with one of these Senshi. Tomoe's daughter is not in the country right now, so we'll have to look for one of the others."

"And how would we go about that, sir?" the woman asked, pretty sure she knew why he had called her.

"I'm leaving that to you, Lieutenant Rakurai."

"General, you want me to go and bring one of those Senshi here?"

"We have no clues on what their civilian identities are, so yes, you'll have to talk to them right after one of their battles."

"That sounds like a challenge. I'll do it."

"Good." He saw the woman turning to leave and sighed. "Be careful out there, Saiko."

"Don't worry, General Kino, I can take care of myself."

The man simply nodded as the woman walked out of the room. Of course he knew how good her combat skills were, but these monsters weren't like anything he had seen before.

* * *

Naru woke up with a start. It had been just a nightmare, but it was always the same nightmare lately. It didn't happen everyday, fortunately, but she couldn't really understand what it meant. Also, she remembered more of it each time.

She could, in the dream, see herself wearing a Senshi suit. She saw a castle in the distance, but the castle was aflame, and she knew she was defending it. Fighting youma, monsters like the one who had attacked her the first time she saw Sailor Moon. But something killed her, in the dream, and that was the point where she would always wake up.

Come to think about it, the dreams had started shortly after Sailor V was first seen in Tokyo. Could it be that she was... "No way, what am I thinking? I'm not one of them."

"As a matter of fact, you are."

Naru stared at the gray cat standing in front of her, in her bed. "You... You're like Sailor Moon's cat!"

"My name's Shade, and I'm here to tell you about your mission."

* * *

**A/N:** Just like in the previous version, Rei's "one-time telekinesis" is missing. I never understood why some characters in the show seemed to have some awesome skills for _one single episode_ and then never use them again. That's a waste of a good trait that could be given to someone else, in my opinion.

Terry's "new toy", is an old toy if you've read Cyber Moon, but one that wasn't mentioned yet.

The lack of updates has many sources. Games, real life and, also, I'm editing Cyber Moon to get rid of all the bugs (grammar, missing lines, missing scenes.) I'm not going to upload any edited chapter until I'm done with all of them, though.

_wildflower1014_: That would need me to rush the plot along. If you go by the anime's episodes, we're up to only the twelveth episode, so there's a long way to go. And about Hotaru and Kage, who knows what could happen with them? I do, but I'm not spoiling the surprise(s).


	9. Airport Showdown

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book** **2: ****Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode** **9: ****Airport showdown.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: March 24, 2010_

* * *

Jadeite was, to put it shortly, upset. The Queen had been rather clear about what she though of his success rate so far. He could still hear her in his mind, telling him that this was the last chance he would get. He had to find a way to eliminate the Senshi for good. Maybe he could ask Aurite for help and...

No, he had messed up on his own, and he would fix his past errors on his own too. Aurite would get her turn later on, but for the moment she was busy keeping Pluto's pets in check. But the question was, how to deal with the Senshi? Maybe if he could lure them to a trap, a place where no interference from that Tuxedo Kamen guy was possible... Yes, that was it! He wouldn't fail again. He couldn't fail.

* * *

"So your friend lives in a temple?"

Usagi nodded. "Yeah, she's a priestess."

Usagi and Terry were heading for the temple, with Luna tagging along. The cat suddenly looked back and said "is it just me, or are those girls following us?"

Terry took a quick glance back. At least twenty girls were walking in the same direction as them, half a block behind them, keeping their distance. He had noticed them a while back, but thought they would give up and leave eventually. "They're annoying."

"You've got quite a fan club, Terry," Luna mused.

"Not funny," he muttered, then looked at Usagi, "you two go ahead, I'll take care of them."

"I'll wait."

"As you wish," Terry said and turned around, walking to the small crowd. "Did you ladies lose something, or is stalking a national sport here in Japan?"

"We mean no harm, Terry," a red-haired girl said.

"Only my friends call me by my first name," Terry noted.

"Hey, what's the matter," another girl asked, "afraid we'll do something to your girlfriend?"

Usagi winced as she heard that. It really was a rude thing to say to him.

Terry glared at the girl for a few seconds before turning around. "I don't think you can do a thing to my girlfriend, since she's been dead for a while now. And I'm not looking for a 'replacement' yet so you better stop following me around."

"Hey, no fair, you're always talking to that Tsukino girl," someone in the crowd said.

"Leave. Now."

The redhead looked at Terry. He had his back turned to them, so she couldn't see his face, but somehow, she could feel the anger in his voice. "Let's go."

"But Chie..."

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't want someone I like hating me," the girl said, then started walking away. The others watched her for a few seconds before following her.

Usagi walked to Terry, noticing his eyes were still closed. "Are you okay?"

He opened his eyes and left out a long sigh. "As long as they stop doing that, I'll be fine," he said.

"You don't look fine."

Terry looked at the cat. "I don't think I'll ever be fine. Do you know how it feels to lose someone you care about?"

"I do," Luna said.

Usagi looked down at Luna in shock. "Say what? What do you mean you do?"

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Aww, come on..."

"Cut it off, Usagi," Luna muttered.

"Fine, be that way."

Terry looked at them with a half-smile. "You two sure get along."

"Feeling better?"

"A bit. Let's go to that temple."

"Think those girls will keep on stalking you?" Usagi asked.

Terry could see she was genuinely worried about him. "I don't know. Their 'leader' apparently understood what I was trying to tell them." He paused as they all started walking again, then smiled. "But don't worry about me. I have a bit of a training fighting crowds, even unarmed."

"Guess we should worry about them, then," Luna muttered.

* * *

As they reached the temple, they could see Rei talking to someone. Someone Terry knew was one of Usagi's friend. So that meant she was the third 'Tokyo Senshi' he had heard about.

Rei noticed the trio walking to them "Usagi, what are you up to?"

"Just wanted to show Terry this place," Usagi said. "Terry, this is Ami Mizuno."

"Nice to meet you," Ami said.

Terry smiled at her. "Likewise." "Welcome to the Hikawa Temple," Rei said politely.

"Hikawa?" Terry repeated, "it's somehow fitting for the Senshi of fire to be living in a river of fire."

Ami blinked at that. "Oh, is he...?"

Usagi nodded. "Yes, he's Zero."

"I've heard about what happened," Ami started.

Terry waved his hand dismissively. "If you're going to lecture me, then don't bother."

Ami looked down. "That was not it at all. I may not agree with your goal, but if you're an ally, then we'll help you."

"I see," Terry smiled, "but I have two goals right now. First one's to deal with Luminite, but I'm also interested in bringing those youma down."

"I don't think we need another rookie," Rei noted.

"I may not be able to go around shooting fire beams, but I've trained martial arts since I was a kid."

"From what Usagi told me, you can use swords," Ami commented.

"Yes, I was trained by the best my father could find. If I go by Hakko's own words, he may one of the top five in the world."

"Hakko..." Rei blinked at that, "would that be Kyo Hakko?"

"You know him?" Terry asked in surprise.

"He's one of my grandfather's friends. If he's trained you, then you may be good enough."

"Good to know I've got your approval," Terry muttered.

"Hey now, don't fight, we're all in the same team."

"Usagi's right," Luna agreed.

"Wasn't trying to pick up a fight," Rei said.

"Same here. I don't like arguing with cute girls."

Rei stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head. If what he said was true, and Hakko had really been his trainer, then she knew he could be a good fighter. And if he was good at close range, that meant he could keep the youma busy while they shot them down.

Luna suddenly sensed something, and looked up. "What the heck is that?"

Rei also looked up and recognized the man immediately. "That's Jadeite."

"Senshi," Jadeite's image said, "I'm tired of your meddling, so let's settle this once and for all. Come to the Tokyo Airport in one hour. If you don't," the image then shifted to a view of Tokyo in flames, "this is what I'll do to your city."

Usagi's skin lost a few tones as the image vanished. "He can't do that, right?"

"We've managed to stop him from draining a lot of energy, most of the time," Luna noted, "but I don't know about the other areas."

"It has to be a bluff," Terry said.

"It's obviously a trap," Rei added.

"I agree," Ami said, "he wants us to play right into his hand."

Usagi shook her head. "You know, guys, I don't like fighting, I really don't. But if that man's threatening to kill so many people just to get us, then... I guess we'll have to go there and fight him."

Luna was quite surprised. Usagi could be quite lazy, naive and clueless, but she was selfless and, in her own way, brave when it counted.

"I'll help," Terry said, and pressed a button on his wrist watch, then waited for a few seconds before speaking at it. "Hey Sam, know where the Hikawa temple is?"

"Yes," a voice said from the watch, "I suppose you want me to bring you a change of clothes?"

"And bring me my toys, too. We're going to have a party at the airport."

"Understood, sir. I don't think anyone in the city missed that invitation."

"Hey, what's that watch's brand?" Usagi asked looking at the watch curiously.

"One of Zephyr's recent inventions, modified by me," Terry said proudly, "it lets me call home, through a secret frequency only my butler knows of."

"Modified, you said?" Rei asked.

"Yeah, I messed with it a bit and made it able to track down magic."

"You did that on your own?" Ami asked.

"Not really, the watch already was a scanner, it could scan for radiation, heat and other things, but it only gave me an 'unknown energy' reading when I scanned the youma. I figured if I isolated that kind of energy, the watch would be able to tell me when one was near. A lucky guess."

"But to make those modifications, you..."

Terry shrugged, "Both my parents liked robotics and gadgets, so I'll blame genetics on that." Right then, everyone could hear a car stopping near the shrine. "That must be Sam. I'll be right back, you girls go get changed for the party too."

* * *

When the Senshi got close enough to the airport, they saw the army and police had gathered around it. A black dome covered the building, effectively stopping anyone from entering or leaving. "Okay Sam, I'll call you to pick us up when we're done."

"Be careful, sir."

"Aren't I always?"

"Not really, that's why I'm telling you that."

"You know, I think this is the first time I've heard of the police getting there _before_ the Senshi did," Mars commented as they all walked to the airport.

"We should thank your friend Jadeite for that," Zero noted.

"I'm planning to do just that," Mars said with a frown.

As they got close to the airport, a woman walked to them. She was, from what Zero could tell by looking at her suit, a lieutenant. "Senshi, I need to talk to you."

"Not right now," Mars said.

Rakurai looked at the three in turns. "I was ordered to bring one of you to my base for interrogation."

"That will have to wait," Mercury countered.

"But..."

"Listen, we have to go in there and fight our enemy. After this is done, we'll listen to what you have to say." After saying that, Moon walked past the woman, followed by the others.

The three Senshi (and the guy who was with them, whom Saiko had ignored until now,) all walked to the dome. The blue-haired Senshi said something to the others, which she couldn't hear from where she was, and then a hole opened in the dome. The four walked through it after staring at it doubtfully for a few seconds, and the dome closed shut once again.

"Oh, this is just great."

"Should we open fire, Lieutenant?"

She turned to the soldier and shook her head. "We already tried before. Whatever that barrier's made of, it doesn't seem to be affected by our weapons."

* * *

Someone else watched the scene from a safe distance, but one of them wasn't okay with just watching. "We should go help them."

"We were told only to observe the battles. We don't know how many enemies are in there, or how to break through that dome."

"It doesn't feel right to just sit around doing nothing, Mira."

"I know." Mira took a few seconds to consider their options. "Technically, we can't _observe_ the battle since the black dome's blocking our line of sight."

The other figure smiled. "That's more like it."

"Circe, Calisto, let's go."

* * *

The Senshi were quite shocked at what they saw inside the airport terminal. There were dozens of civilians scattered around the building, all unconscious. It was obvious Jadeite had drained them nearly to death. "If they don't get medical attention soon..." Mercury commented.

Zero pressed a button in the side of his watch. "Hey Sam, are there any ambulances out there?"

"A few, sir," Samuel's voice replied from the watch.

"We'll need a lot of them."

"I'll see what I can do about it, sir."

"That's good and all, but where's our 'friend' Jadeite?" Mars pondered.

"Come outside, the party can't start without you," Jadeite's voice echoed through the building.

"Wow, he's one lame strategist," Zero commented.

"Why?" Moon asked.

"If he fought us inside instead of out in the open, he would have us worry about all the people scattered around," he noted.

"And he wouldn't have such handicap," Mercury added.

"Well, I'm not going to complain if the enemy's being fair for once," Mars said as the five run out of the building.

* * *

Outside, they could see Jadeite floating calmly, waiting for them. There was a thin black aura around him, which was definitely not a good sign.

"He must be powering himself up with the energy he absorbed," Luna explained.

"That's a rather good guess, stray cat," Jadeite said with a mocking smile. "I was already beyond your power before, so now, I'm invincible!"

"Fire Soul!"

Jadeite punched straight into the attack, getting no visible damage from it. "Hmph. I'm not going to waste my energy fighting weak little girls. I'll let my soldiers do it instead."

"Soldiers? What soldiers?" Moon asked.

Suddenly, a dozen creatures rose from underneath the ground. They were apparently made of sand, and they all glared at the Senshi with green, glowing eyes.

"I guess he meant _those_ soldiers," Zero noted. He rushed at one and slashed through it with his swords. The creature didn't seem to notice the attack at all, and they all started crawling towards the Senshi. "Go ahead, ignore the sidekick," he muttered. Though, he realized, in this case, that might be a good thing.

He looked up at Jadeite as the three girls were surrounded by those sand creatures. "So, you're good against ranged attacks, but what about good old swords?"

Jadeite calmly floated down and stared at him dismissively. "You must be that Zero kid I've heard about."

"I'm famous, huh?" Zero mused.

"Not really. I only heard about you from Luminite, she was saying something about you not being worth killing."

Zero growled at those words, but somehow managed to keep his cool. "Are you going to keep talking bullshit, or are you going to fight?"

Jadeite summoned a crystal sword. "I suppose roughing you up before I kill your friends is an acceptable amusement."

* * *

"Inferno!"

A jet of fire shot from Calisto's gloved hand, impacting the dome's wall, but it caused no damage. "It's not working."

"We have to get in there," Circe said with a frown.

"And what are you going to do, help your youma friend?"

The three turned at the voice, and saw a girl standing there. "That suit..." Mira whispered.

"Sailor Nemesis?" Calisto asked in shock.

"Interesting, you know my name," Nemesis noted.

A gray cat rushed in "Nemesis, wait, those are not youma!"

"Are you sure, Shade?"

"Of course we're not youma. We're Demon Hunters," Mira explained.

"Didn't think your kin would still be around in this era," Shade said, "but still, getting through that one may not be possible." She walked to the dome and put a paw in it, closing her eyes. "As I feared. Planet Senshi attacks won't break through this, and as for Demon Hunter magic... Nothing short of a Demon Sword would pierce a hole in it."

"Great," Mira muttered, "none of us is skilled enough to use that kind of magic."

"What about all our attacks combined?" Nemesis asked.

"That might work," Shade said.

"Worth a try," Mira said, "and it'll be an honor to work with a Senshi."

"Thanks, I guess," Nemesis said. "Ready?"

"Inferno!" Calisto called out, shooting another stream of fire at the dome.

"Blizzard!"

"Spark!"

A blast of ice and a lightning bolt shot to the dome along with the fire.

Nemesis reached her hand up, above her head, and a small, black ball formed on it. "Nemesis..." She then rose her other hand, grabbing the dark ball with both, and spinning a few times as she lowered her arms. "... Dark..." She suddenly stopped, the ball shooting forwards towards the black dome. "...Core!"

The dome vanished as the three attacks hit. Mira stared at the spot she had aimed for in shock. "That went a little _too_ well."

Shade looked at Nemesis. "Jadeite is gone."

Nemesis looked to the airport and sighed. "There goes my first real battle, huh?"

Mira shook her head. "There's more Generals out there. Nemesis, I have something to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"Don't tell the other Senshi about us."

"Why the stealth?"

"Orders from above," Mira said. "I'm sure next time we meet, I'll be able to explain it to you."

"Right. I won't tell the others, don't worry," Nemesis said.

Mira nodded. "Goodbye. Teleport!"

As the trio vanished, Nemesis looked at Shade. "Hey, why don't I have something like that?"

"You're a few levels too low for teleporting," Shade said, "but don't worry about that. Let's go back home."

Nemesis looked back and saw the three Senshi and the 'ninja' walking away. The guy seemed to be in a pretty bad shape, so she could guess the fight hadn't been an easy one. But, for some reason, she felt like she knew them. "Yeah, you're right. Let's go."

Tuxedo Kamen was also watching the three Senshi leave. He arrived too late to the scene, and didn't find a way to get in... For a few minutes, he had been worried, but now he saw these girls could fight their own battles after all.

* * *

Minutes earlier, the three Senshi were doing what they did best: Dodging as the sand monsters kept on shooting sand at them. "This is annoying," Mars said, "we need a plan."

Mercury nodded, "I would scan those creatures, but I can't do that and dodge at the same time."

Moon was hit by a ball of sand and landed in a heap. "Oww... I like snowball fights, but this is just stupid." She glared at the creatures for a few seconds. "Hey, wait a minute... Glass is just overheated sand, right? Then Mars can deal with them!"

"Amazing," Mars said.

"What, amazing I came up with a plan?" Moon asked.

"No, amazing you knew about how glass is made," Mars said with a mocking smile.

"Why you..." Moon started, but was reminded of their foes as a blast of sand hit her head. "Hey!"

Mars sighed and shook her head. "Okay, here goes nothing. Fire Soul!"

The fire beam washed over one of the creatures, and as the fire dimmed, everyone could see it had turned into a glass statue.

"It worked!"

Mercury nodded. "Good thinking, Moon."

Mars wasn't about to admit it out loud, but she agreed with Mercury. "Fire Soul!"

A minute later, the Senshi were surrounded by glass statues. Mars was kneeling on the ground, as using her attack so many times in a row had left her out of energy.

"Now, let's go help Zero and..." Mercury started, but stopped as Zero fell to the ground in front of them. His suit was cut in several places, and he didn't look like he could do as much as standing up.

"Zero!" Moon gasped and looked at Jadeite, who was floating towards them. "Why you... For hurting one of my friends, I won't forgive you!"

Jadeite laughed at that. "It's all his own fault. He should know better than playing hero." He saw the three girls charging up for an attack and smiled. Yes, he would let them tire themselves out and then kill them. Of course, a direct hit by those blasts would hurt, but as long as he was able to use an invisible barrier, as he had done when Mars attacked, then...

He couldn't finish that thought, as something hit him from behind. He turned to see some kind of black board floating there, but was swiftly reminded of his other foes as their three attacks hit him from behind.

The Senshi walked to Jadeite, who was trying to stagger up "weak little girls, huh?" Mars snapped.

Jadeite glared at her. "You stupid brat, I'm going to..." Suddenly, his body became transluscent, and he gasped. "Beryl... No, wait, I can still beat them!"

Moon blinked as Jadeite vanished. "Where did he go?"

"I guess his boss didn't like his lame performance."

They turned to see Zero staggering up. "Are you okay?" Moon asked.

"I'll live," Zero said, then looked up at the board still floating above them. "Guess dad's timing for sending me that thing was perfect."

"What is it?" Mars asked.

"An airboard."

"How does it work?" Luna asked. She didn't detect any magic in that floating board, but then again, she hadn't expected to detect any.

"Hey, you girls aren't telling me how your magic works, so I won't tell you about my airboard."

"In short, you have no idea how it works," Mars guessed.

"That, too," Zero said with a smile. "Okay, let's get the heck out of here."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Jadeite hurt my ego, mostly," Zero noted as they all walked out of the airport, "all those years training with swords are useless when your enemy can shoot energy blasts at you."

"Well, there's a saying about bringing a sword to a gunfight, right?"

Zero shrugged at that "Been there..."

"Senshi, what just happened in there?"

Mercury saw Rakurai walking their way and smiled politely. "We defeated the enemy, but the people in there needs medical assistence."

"I'll see to that," Saiko said, "but I still need one of you to come with me."

"We've just been through a though battle," Mars noted, "and I don't know about the others, but I have sand in places I would rather not think about, so..." the other two girls nodded at that, while the guy let out a chuckle, which earned him a glare from Mars.

Saiko looked at the three girls. They were a bit bruised and seemingly tired, that much was true. And if they didn't want to go with her, what could she do? These three had apparently eliminated someone who could create a dome she was sure not even a tank's cannon would break through. "Okay, I understand," she said, and gave Moon a small card. "Here's the address of our base, please go there as soon as you can."

Zero looked at the card. "I know where that place is."

"I'm curious, who exactly are _you_?" Saiko asked the ninja.

"I'm just a sidekick," Zero said with a shrug.

"Now, if we're done with the questions..."

Rakurai nodded at that, and watched as the girls turned to leave. She had no doubts now about what side they were on, but there were still one too many questions left to ask.

* * *

The building was abandoned now, but it had once been a cram school. A cram school used by evil creatures to gather energy for their own goals. But right now, the building only had one person inside. And that person was looking for things left in the aftermath of the battle fought within those walls. He had already found such items elsewhere. The scanner he held pointed him to the back of the teacher's desk, and he smiled. Yes, there it was, a single blue hair. He put it inside a plastic bag and walked out of the classroom.

It was a pity some of his targets were outside the country, but if he was guessing right, then they would eventually move to Tokyo. And he would be waiting for them, for his masterpiece would only be complete when all pieces fell into place.

* * *

**A/N:** Re-uploaded chapter eight with one "minor" change. If you're wondering who this "Saiko" is, it's ol'good "Seia," she just got a name change to keep up with the name puns (also, "Seia" doesn't fit her character.) If anyone's curious and can't find out on their own, I'll explain what Saiko Rakurai stands for.

_Linata/X0001:_ A part of the delay in last chapter was because of that. Terry _shouldn't_ have been around in the last version, though, now that I can compare both, at least from my point of view.

It's just one of many things I wanted to "correct" from Cyber Moon.


	10. Change of plans

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 1: Rebirth**

**Act 1**: **Dark Kingdom**

**Episode 10: Change of plans**_  
_

_by Razor Knight_

Last update: May 9, 2010

* * *

Beryl wasn't entirely pleased with her troops' performance. While their energy reserves was increasing, it wasn't fast enough. Jadeite was the biggest offender there, and that's why she was putting Nephrite in charge of the Japan front. That didn't mean Jadeite was resting, no, she could still use his skills elsewhere. There were two ways for the youma to win this war, and both involved awakening their goddess before the Senshi found their Princess. Gathering energy had seemed like the fastest road at first, but it had turned into the backup plan.

Let the Senshi think they were stopping the youma from invading, let them keep their eyes set on the energy draining. They would never notice there was something else going on. They would never know the youma were already chasing after the Ginzuishou, the crystal which, legends said, could only be used by the Princess. If the youma got to it first, then the Princess would be powerless, and Beryl would find a way to use it to awaken her goddess. Jadeite was also out there now, searching for the crystal. With three Generals actively looking for it, she was certain it wouldn't be long before it was found.

* * *

The man walked in and looked at the students. "Good morning, students. I'll be your substitute teacher for history class. As you might have heard, miss Harai was hospitalized last night."

"I heard she was attacked by one of those monsters," one of the students said.

The man nodded at that. "I've heard the rumors, yes. But I don't think you should believe that kind of urban legends. In any case, my name is Furita, and I hope you will find my classes interesting enough as to not fall asleep during them."

A few students laughed at that, but Naru wasn't laughing. She was staring at the man in shock. _'It can't be him. I hoped I wouldn't have to fight him.'_

Usagi looked at her, worried about her friend's sudden seriousness. "Hey Naru, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing," Naru lied. A ghost, yes. A ghost from her past. She noticed Furita was looking back at her. Had he recognized her? Did he even remember at all?

_'That girl's energy is at its peak right now. She'll be my next target.'_ After all, that weak human woman he had drained the night before was not enough to send to his Queen. Fortunately, he had noticed she was a teacher, and thus his plan had been born. Being able to roam in a place full of humans would make it easier for him to find his targets.

* * *

Later that day, Usagi was walking home. It would have been far more accurate to say she was _stomping_ home, actually.

"Hey, _Rabbit,_ what's wrong?"

She looked back and saw Terry following her. "Hmph, it's this stupid test. I don't know why I even bother anymore."

Terry knew what she was talking about, she was quite upset about the test's results. "Maybe you could try, you know, studying?"

"I try, but I wasn't born to study." She looked at the test again and made a ball with the paper sheet, tossing it away. "Stupid thing."

"Ow. Who the heck..."

Terry turned back and saw a tall guy walking to them. The test had apparently landed on him, and he was looking at Usagi amusedly.

Usagi scowled at him. "You again?"

"You should listen to your boyfriend, Odango," the man said as he handed her the test paper and started walking away.

"What do you care?" Usagi snapped at the retreating man, then blushed furiously as his words sank. "And he's not my boyfriend!"

Terry watched the man walk away, ignoring Usagi's shouts, and sighed. "He's a bit of a jerk, but you know, you _really_ should study."

"I know that, I just... I'm not good at all when it comes to books."

"Why don't you ask Ami for help?"

"She's busy with her own classes, and..."

"I don't think she'll mind," Terry said, "I've seen her study, and she seems to enjoy it."

Usagi let out a long sigh. "I'll try asking her."

"You know, that new teacher is kind of... I don't know, he kept on looking at the students in a strange way."

"Really? I didn't notice. He's kind of cute, though."

Terry blinked at that. "If you say so."

* * *

Nephrite couldn't really complain, the building Jadeite had bought was dark enough for those used to the sun-less sky of the Dark Kingdom. And since there was nobody else but him inside, he could plan his attacks better from there. "This girl is your target," he said to the youma standing besides him, as he showed him a photo of Naru, "do not fail, Kapuri."

"I will not fail, Master Nephrite," the youma said before vanishing.

Nephrite looked up at the roof, in which an image of the stars in that side of the Earth was shown. "Capricorn's stars shine the brightest right now. I'm sure Kapuri won't fail."

* * *

"Naru, run!"

Usagi's eyes widened. "That was Umino."

"Go help them, I'll catch up with you."

"Where are you going?"

"I gotta get my suit. What did you think, I had it under my clothes just in case I had to fight?"

"As a matter of fact..." Usagi noted.

Terry sighed. "Just go help them."

* * *

When Moon reached her friends, she saw things were looking bad. Umino was unconscious on the ground, and the youma (who looked like a humanoid goat, or a ram,) was clutching Naru by the neck, pinning her against a wall as she drained her. "Hey you, leave that girl alone!"

The youma turned to her. "I'll be with you in a minute," she said dismissively.

"Why you..." Moon glared at the youma. Sure, she wasn't too thrilled about fighting this creature, but Naru was the target (again,) so she would just have to manage. She run to the monster, as fast as she could, and jumped when she was meters away from it. "Moon Kick!"

Naru was barely conscious, but still heard the shout, and realized the monster had released her. She shook her head to try and fully recover her senses, and noticed what had happened. Sailor Moon was there, and she had kicked the youma with enough force to send it staggering back.

"Are you okay?"

Naru cringed. It was not the first time she was saved by Sailor Moon, but this time was different. This time, she could've beaten that creature herself. She should've known why Nephrite was looking at her at school. He didn't recognize her, he was just looking at his prey. "Yes, I'm... Just a bit tired."

"You stupid brat!"

Moon realized the youma wasn't quite down yet, and leapt back, barely dodging a charge from it. It had charged at her head-first, something very fitting considering what she looked like. The monster charged again, and Moon once again managed to leap out of the way. "Okay, enough of this. Moon Tiara Action!"

Jadeite's youma usually just stood there staring until the tiara hit them, but this one wasn't one of them. The goat-like woman simply charged forwards once again, sending the tiara flying away with her horns. With no tiara, she was sure this dumb Senshi would be easy to kill. Yes, she wouldn't only have the target's energy today, but would also kill one of those Senshi. Surely Lord Nephrite would...

"Fire Soul!"

Moon stared at the spot where the youma had been standing as the fire column vanished. "Good timing."

Naru stood up shakily. "Thanks for saving me again, Senshi."

"No need to thank us," Moon said as she looked for her tiara, "it's our job." Though it _did_ feel good to be thanked for it.

"Let's go," Mars said, noticing Moon had found her lost weapon, "hopefully they won't attack for a while."

As Moon followed the others, she realized something. "Hey, how did you know the youma were attacking?"

"Terry went to the temple and told me what was going on," Rei said, "and I called Ami."

"That's the fun of being a sidekick, the heroes can take care of stuff without us."

Moon looked up to see Zero standing on top of a truck. "I was fighting those alone for a while, so yes, I think I can handle a fight now and then."

Mars smiled. "It's good to see you can actually be a heroine when it matters."

Moon nodded at that. "I realized I can't just keep running away. Not when my friends are getting hurt by those things. Even if fighting those monsters scares me to the bone."

Zero leapt down from the truck and smiled at her. "If you weren't scared of fighting monsters like those, then you would be either stupid or insane."

Moon suddenly shook her head. "You know, since we're all still in 'uniform,' shouldn't we go see what the army people wanted?"

"I'm done studying, so I have no problem with that."

Mars smiled. "You're just looking for an excuse from studying, aren't you?"

* * *

Nephrite couldn't help but smile. Kapuri had been killed by the Senshi, true, but she didn't fail. Unlike Jadeite, he didn't wait to send the energy to the Dark Kingdom. No, his youma had been instructed to send all the energy they collected straight to him, and he had sent it to his world as soon as he had it. So far, his methods seemed to work a lot better than Jadeite's. Maybe if Beryl had chosen him from the start, their goddess would already be back from its slumber.

* * *

The two guards in front of the bunker's door were rather shocked as the four teenagers (and a small cat) approached the door. "Hold it right there," the younger of the two guards said.

"Hey, that's my line," Moon noted.

Mars ignored her. "We're here to see Lieutenant Rakurai."

"Of course," the older guard said, "she told us you would be here sooner or later. Please wait here." The Senshi waited while the older guard spoke through a small comm on the wall. As he returned, he smiled at them. "You may pass."

As the Senshi walked in, the younger guard shook his head. "I suppose you won that bet, old man. I didn't think they really existed."

"Heard about the cruise ship incident? My daughter was there with her husband. Those kids are heroes to me."

The guard nodded at that. "Yeah, I had heard a lot of people praise them, but you know the saying, 'see to believe.'"

"How do you know these aren't fakes?" the older guard countered.

"It's quite simple... Can you remember what their faces looked like?"

"No, I can't," the older guard admitted, "so they must be the real deal."

* * *

Saiko Rakurai saw the Senshi walking in and sighed. "Took you guys long enough."

"We've been busy. We're just done frying another youma," Mars noted. She was quite literal with the whole 'frying' thing, too.

"I'm not complaining, it's not like I could _force_ you girls to come here. Follow me."

Zero looked around as they walked. "This place's bigger on the inside."

"Most of it is underground," Saiko explained, "it's easier to hide a branch of the JDF that's been investigating aliens and legends for years, if the civilians don't even know we're here."

"So you're Japan's Area 51," Zero said.

"I've been researching since we last met," Rakurai admitted, "and I'm curious. Why are you in Japan?"

Zero frowned at that. "How much do you know?"

"You and a girl named Nova were usually seen stopping criminals back in New York. There were two incidents where a group of civilians was drained in the same fashion as youma do here in Tokyo. You were seen at both places."

"You've done your homework," Zero admitted.

"And a few weeks ago, right after one of those incidents, both you and Nova stopped showing up. Rumors say you were both killed by whatever attacked the civilians."

Zero looked down. "Rumors are quite right about Nova, then."

Saiko nodded at that. "Don't worry, then, I can figure it out on my own." There was silence for a minute, until they reached a rather large door. "Here we are."

As they walked through the door, the Senshi saw two men inside. One was wearing a suit much like Rakurai's, and the other wore a labcoat. "General Kino, Doctor Tomoe, these are the Senshi."

The General nodded. "It's good to finally meet you, Senshi."

"Why is that kitty here?" Tomoe asked.

"Name's Luna," Luna said, amused by the faces of both men. "I'm Sailor Moon's guardian, and I'm no ordinary cat, as you might have guessed already."

"Interesting, an alien feline," Tomoe said.

"A Mooncat," Luna corrected.

Tomoe looked at the cat in a quite creepy way. "Hmmm..."

"I hope you're not thinking about scientific tests right now," Luna warned.

"As a matter of fact..."

General Kino cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Senshi, we need to know what we're facing. We only have rumors to go with right now."

"The enemy are youma," Luna explained, "they are invaders from another dimension, and their power is beyond that of a human. I'm not even sure human weapons can harm them."

"We haven't tried yet," Kino noted. "What exactly are these monsters?"

"I'm not sure. The youma first appeared on Earth a hundred thousand years ago. The Senshi stopped them from invading the Moon..."

"There were humans on the Moon back then?" Kino was quite shocked at that.

"And all the other planets. That's where the names come from, Sailors Moon, Mercury, Mars... There should be one for each planet, but we've yet to find the others. Thing is, I wasn't supposed to 'sleep' for so many years, so it affected my memory of that time."

"A hundred thousand years old feline from the moon. Amazing," Tomoe commented.

"Youma are magic beings, they were originally created through necromancy. They managed to invade all of the Earth, but their leader was defeated when they tried to invade the Moon. They were banished to another dimension by the strongest Senshi."

"Is that Sailor V?"

"All I remember is that she was a Princess. Moon Princess."

Tomoe took out a strange box and looked at it. "Hmm..."

Moon looked at it curiously. "What is that?"

"An energy scanner. I can't get a reading."

"Trust me, they've got a lot of that energy," Zero said, "magic, as Luna calls it. Thing is, they can shoot it at their enemies with just a thought."

"Youma use magic too," Luna said, "they're trying to gather life energy to bring their true leader back. If they manage to do that, well..."

"We're screwed," Zero said.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Saiko asked.

"As I said, I don't know if conventional weapons will harm youma."

Kino looked at Luna. "So you're their leader?"

"I'm just a mentor, so to speak. I can't really fight. The Princess is the true leader, but until we find her, I'm doing my best."

"We can't just stand here with our arms crossed," Saiko said, "I bet bullets can kill those things as easily as they kill humans."

"You're welcome to try, but we don't have time to babysit you and your soldiers."

"What... Who are you, anyway?" Saiko said, her temper rising.

"Zero, stop it," Moon said, then turned to Rakurai. "Zero is our ally, and our friend. I don't agree with the way he's saying it, but he's right." She looked at the General. "This isn't about us wanting to take all the credit, I would love to have more help fighting those monsters... But youma won't hesitate to kill anyone who attacks them."

Luna was surprised by those words. Usagi could sometimes be a brat, but there were times like this, where she showed she really knew what they were facing.

Kino's face was unreadable as he looked at Moon. "I see. We will stay out of the way for now, but I have no control over the police. And we'll start researching these creatures, to build weapons that can destroy them."

"That would be good," Luna admitted, "if the youma get enough energy, we may be facing a full-scale invasion."

* * *

"Huntress Mira, there is something I want to know about your report..."

Mira looked at the magic projection of Prime Huntress Aries. "If it's about our attempt at breaking through..."

"No, " Aries said, "your orders were clear, observe the Senshi without being detected. That much you accomplished, even if you bent the rules a little."

"We failed, Nemesis knows about us."

"From your report, I'm sure she's not with the other Senshi yet. Your main worry right now is not being detected by youma. The three of you are far from ready to face such a force yet."

Circe walked in right then, noticing Ares' image and nodding at her. "The Senshi fought another youma minutes ago. The youma's behavior was different, though... It focused in draining one single human, rather than a crowd."

"Interesting," Aries said, "keep an eye on the city, as usual, and see if you can figure out what their change of tactics means."

Mira looked at Circe as Aries' projection vanished. "Where is Calisto?"

"Scouting the city. She said she was sure the youma had a base in Tokyo, and she wanted to find it."

"Hope she's careful, we can't afford to be found just yet."

"I wonder why the leaders insist on us not contacting the Senshi. It seems to be working fine for Orion and Sigma."

"Those two are in a different league than us, Circe. Given time, either of them could be stronger than the Primes."

"Not surprising," Circe noted, "since they're their offsprings."

* * *

"This is annoying, Shade. First time a new General attacks, and he targets me of all people," Naru said, her tone showing she was quite upset.

"A strange coincidence, but don't worry. Next time they attack, we'll be ready for them."

Naru looked at the small cat. "So, I'm joining their team soon, then."

Shade nodded, "yes, we can't act as a separate force. To defeat Nephrite, we must..."

"If he shows up, I'll try talking to him."

"Naru, don't. He's not the same you remember."

"How do you know?" Naru countered, "he will remember me, I'll make him join us."

Shade shook her head. "Fine, try it, but don't forget what your mission is. You may have to kill him to stop the youma invasion. Are you okay with that?"

"If he's really gone for good, I will," Naru said, more to convince herself than her guardian.

* * *

**A/N:** Hopefully I'll get the next chapter out fast. I'm out of new games to waste time with, anyhow.

Fun little fact: I didn't have a title for this one until I finished it. Why is it strange? Because it's the first time I write a whole chapter without giving it a title at some point (most of the time I have the title before I start writing a chapter.)

_X0001:_ No, she wasn't around before last chapter, but I wanted to give her a slightly earlier intro than she had in Cyber Moon Chronicles


	11. Nemesis

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 11: Nemesis.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 18, 2010_

* * *

"Things are almost too quiet, don't you think?"

Hotaru looked at Kage with her usual emotionless face. "I don't believe the youma have left this area. Pluto would have told us if that was the case."

"You should smile more, you know?"

"You've told me that before. A dozen times, at least."

"Doesn't mean it's not true."

Hotaru nodded. "I suppose you're right. I'll go for a walk, if anything happens, I'll contact you."

"Okay, have fun," Kage said as Hotaru walked out. That girl was quite strange, he wouldn't deny it. But he still liked her. He wouldn't tell her, though, because he didn't want to complicate things. Their mission was too important, so he'd just wait. After the current war was over, he would try and figure out what to do.

* * *

"Heard the last rumors about the Senshi?"

Usagi couldn't help but smile at that. "Sure I have. They saved Naru from a monster."

Naru nodded. "They're amazing. They always know where the monsters will attack, for some reason."

"Must be one of their powers," another classmate said.

"Or they're fake and it's all set up like that," the tall girl a few seats behind Usagi noted.

"Karin, they're real," Naru said, "I've been saved by them... I could feel how my energy was drained when those monsters got me. Yesterday's one was strange, though, he didn't attack a crowd, just me."

Karin shrugged. "Hey, sorry, but I'm a 'see to believe' person."

"Well, I hope you keep your skepticism, then," Terry noted, "I for one wouldn't risk being attacked by some super monsters just to see if the Senshi do exist."

Usagi didn't hear the rest of the conversation. Her mind had registered what Naru said, and she was surprised she hadn't noticed it. Youma always targeted crowds, why had this one singled Naru out and attacked only her?

* * *

Nei Furita looked on as the students passed by him. He was sure he had felt something from one of them today... There, she was the one. "Chie Wanako, her energy today's at its highest. How unfortunate for her, today Taurus is the chosen sign."

* * *

After school, Usagi was walking home, and took the chance to ask Ami about the youma's strange method.

"I wasn't there while the youma was still alive," Ami admitted, "but you're right, they're doing things a different way."

"Maybe after the beating we gave him, Jadeite's made a change of plans."

Usagi almost jumped at the voice. "Terry? When did you get here?"

"I am a ninja. Ninja are silent and deadly."

Usagi ignored that. "Hey, maybe it's a new General? Luna told me there were several of them. If Jadeite failed so much, maybe his boss decided to replace him?"

Terry smiled at that. "And what would they do with him, Usagi, encase him in crystal and send him to where he can't screw up their plans anymore?"

"That sounds silly," Usagi noted.

"Hey, Luna said something yesterday I found quite strange."

"What was it?" Ami asked.

"She said no normal weapons could harm youma... But I stabbed through one of them with my swords."

"Maybe they're not normal," Ami guessed.

"Hakko hinted that," Terry noted.

"Maybe Luna will know," Usagi said.

"I may or may not know," Luna said from behind Usagi, making her jump.

"What's with everyone doing that today?" Usagi snapped.

"I'm a kunoichi cat," Luna joked.

"So, what did you mean you 'may' know?" Terry asked.

"I need to examine your swords first," Luna said. "I take it you don't carry them around?"

"No, I can't make my suit and swords out of magic like you girls..."

"That's a mistake," Luna noted, "Senshi suits don't really appear out of thin air. They are stored in a sort of pocket dimension until they need to be used."

"Well, what the heck... I guess Sam won that bet."

"In any case, I can examine those swords after next battle," Luna suggested.

"Hmm... No need for that," Terry said, then talked to his watch. "Hey Sam, are you near the school?"

"I was running some errands, sir, but I'm going back in a few minutes. Why?"

"I'm thinking about bringing some friends home. We're five blocks west of the school right now."

"Understood. I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Good." Terry turned to the girls and noticed their stares. "What's the problem?"

"First time I'm going to a boy's house," Ami admitted with a slight blush.

"I've been to Umino's, but he doesn't count," Usagi said.

"I've never invited anyone over except for Hana," Terry said, "but I consider you my friends."

"Hey, what about Rei?" Usagi asked.

"We could go to the shrine and ask her," Terry said.

"Hope she's not busy."

* * *

Several minutes later, the three girls and cat stood in front of the gates of Terry's "house."

"This thing must have its own ZIP code," Usagi noted.

"Or three," Rei added.

Terry waited until his butler opened the gates. "Welcome to my humble home."

"This is humble?" Rei asked with a smirk.

"Just wait until you see it from the inside."

* * *

As the girls walked through a corridor, they realized he hadn't been joking. "Hey, aren't rich people's houses supposed to be packed full of antiques?"

Terry shrugged at that. "To me, an old jar's an old jar. Dad's the same, I guess. However..." He stopped in front of a door which didn't look too different than all the other doors they had passed by, "I do collect antiques."

As he opened the door, the girls (and cat) gasped. Inside were enough weapons (both melee and ranged,) for a small army. "You collect weapons?" Rei asked.

"I've used one of each type to train," Terry admitted, "I'm not just a lousy swordsman, I'm also a lousy spearsman, a lousy bowman, and even a lousy axeman if I have to." He noticed the girls looking at him questioningly. "Hakko says self-criticism is the way to excellence."

Luna chuckled at that. "In any case, where are your swords?"

Terry walked to a wall where two familiar swords were mounted. "Here they are." He picked them both and placed them on the ground. "Dad bought them for me when I started training. He says they're rumored to belong to an ancient ninja clan."

Luna touched one of the swords, and it lit up with a cyan hue. "As I thought."

"So, what's with the light?" Terry asked. "It never did that before."

"Swords belonging to an ancient clan? I agree. Ninja? Not quite. These are two of the Dragon swords."

"The what?" Usagi asked.

"Sailor Senshi use their transformation wands until they're ready to activate the transformation on their own. The Dragon swords work the same way, for the Dragon Senshi."

"Dragon Senshi?" Rei asked. "What's that?"

"The male version of a Sailor Senshi," Luna explained.

"So these guys... Run around wearing tight leotards and short skirts?" Terry joked.

Luna shook her head at that. "Their suits are different, but the purpose is the same. They serve as armors and have a spell which keeps their identities secret."

Terry looked at the sword, which was back to normal. "Think I could use them?"

"The swords choose their warriors. Of course, they always choose between the descendants of one of the royal families of each planet, so if you are sure you're a direct descendant of the Saturn or Mercury royal families, then..."

"What happens if I'm not the one and still give it a try?"

"A normal human's body cannot handle that much mana. It would fry you from the inside," Luna said.

Usagi gasped. "Then don't do it."

Terry smiled. "Of course I won't. I like living. It's one of the few things I do right."

"I'm not a fan of weapons, but still," Ami admitted, "this is a quite impressive collection."

"Too bad we're not good with weapons," Usagi noted.

"I can use a bow," Rei corrected.

"And you, Usagi..." Terry said, "here." He showed her a bladed disc much like her tiara. "You could use that one."

"I only use the tiara as a Senshi, I'm not..."

"Senshi powers adapt to the person using them," Luna noted, "that's why I couldn't tell you what exactly you had to shout to call forth your attacks. Your skill with that tiara is yours alone, not a consequence of you being a Senshi."

Usagi gingerly took the 'disc' and tossed it, aiming it at one of the walls. It hit right between two poleaxes, just as she had intended it to. "Wow... But I thought those things always came back?"

"That requires practice," Terry noted, "and they're meant to slice, not stab, so the hit should be sideways if you want it to return to you."

The girls looked on in disbelief as a group of small, wheeled robots rushed in, sweeping around the room, and leaving as silently as they had arrived. "What was that?" Usagi asked.

"Robot maids. They don't complain, they don't suck up to you, and they get their own food from any electric outlet in the house. And they leave no spot dirty."

"So it's just you and Sam here?" Rei asked.

"Yeah."

"Don't your parents come visit you?" Luna asked.

"Dad hasn't showed up here yet, he's busy with work back at the States," Terry said.

"And your..." Luna said before noticing Terry's mood change. "Nevermind."

"She's been gone for years," Terry said, "she was a 'sailor' too, loved the sea. There was a storm one day, and they found the yatch drifting in the middle of nowhere. She was never found."

"Sorry I asked."

"Don't worry. Back to the subject of weapons, I think I'll have to come up with something besides my sword. Having no ranged attacks is annoying."

"What about some shuriken?" Usagi said, "to keep up with the ninja pattern..."

"I'm no good at throwing those," Terry admitted. "I'll think about something, eventually."

* * *

Hotaru peeked around the corner, and saw her senses hadn't deceived her. As she reached her hand out, a small artifact appeared in it. "Orion, I'm three miles east of your location. There's youma activity in here."

Kage's voice could be heard through the artifact a second later. "I'll be right there."

Hotaru scanned the area with her eyes. As usual, civilians were too busy either running away or being frozen in fear, so she wouldn't have to worry about witnesses. "Saturn Planet Power." Just as Saturn's transformation was finishing, Orion appeared near her. "I guess things have stopped being quiet," Saturn commented.

Orion looked at the youma, who was too busy draining civilians to notice them. "We can't attack it where it's standing."

"Agreed," Saturn said. "Hey you, mindless drone."

The youma heard that voice and turned around. "Sailor Saturn and her pet. Nice."

"Hey, who are you calling a pet?" Orion snapped. "Come here and fight us, freak."

"Why go there when I can just..." The youma didn't finish his phrase, instead shooting a pair of fireballs from its palms.

Orion dove to the side and smiled. "Oh, I see. That's why he looks like a salamander."

Saturn glared at the youma. "I suppose this means we'll have to fight it where it stands."

"But what about the civilians?"

"They won't be a handicap if that youma doesn't move," Saturn said, then whispered something.

The youma laughed. "If I don't move? Well, isn't that amusing!" He felt something grab his feet and looked down. A pair of skeletal hands were clutching his feet, keeping him from moving. "Hey, what the heck..."

"Grim Edge."

Orion saw the youma vanish as the attack hit it. "Good, that's been dealt with, now..."

"Now, you die," Aurite said as she appeared in front of them.

"Grim Edge."

Aurite slapped the attack away. "Please, girl, you know that won't work if I see it coming."

"That's true, but it's still an excellent distraction. Lightning Crash."

An electric arc shot from above, knocking Aurite down to the ground. "What... That wasn't Orion."

"Amazing deductive skills."

Orion turned to see another Hunter standing near them. No, not just 'another' Hunter. "Prime Huntress Sagitta, what are you doing here?"

Sagitta looked at him. "Contrary to what other Hunters may want you youngsters to believe, we Primes do have social lives. I was on my way to visit an old friend when I heard about a monster. I must admit, this one's quite ugly."

"That's no normal youma, that's a General," Saturn noted.

"Is she? It can't be, she was affected by such a low-level spell."

Aurite snarled at that. "You bitch, what the heck was that?"

"Just a bit of electricity, dear," Sagitta said calmly, "may I show you what one of the three strongest Demon Hunters can do when fighting for real?"

"Wait, she's..."

Orion shook his head. "Saturn, don't worry. She'll take care of Aurite."

Saturn finally caught on what Sagitta had said. "Wait, is she like your mother?"

"Yes, she's one of the best."

"If that's the case, then this might be entertaining," Saturn admitted.

Aurite glared at the woman. A lowly human mage, talking to her as if she was just a weak youma? She would make this woman pay for her insolence. "Die!"

Sagitta smiled. "Astral Guard."

The General stood frozen for a second. What had just happened? The beam had shot from right under Sagitta's feet, but that barrier stopped it. How did she do that?

"See, you've got a lot of power, I can admit that much," Sagitta said, "but I have eyes all around this city. I've heard of what you can do. I know how your attacks work."

"That's just a bluff," Aurite said, "try this one!"

Another beam shot, this time from behind Sagitta. "Wind Buckler."

Again, the beam was stopped. "How in darkness...?"

"As I said, I have eyes watching your battles, Aurite. And I know exactly what the trick is with your attack."

"Still bluffing," Aurite snapped.

Sagitta closed her eyes and reached her left hand out to the side. "Poison Arrow."

Aurite's eyes widened, and then she vanished. Saturn was about to say something, when she heard a scream from the side, and saw Aurite rushing in, straight at Sagitta. "Die, human!"

"Not today," Sagitta said, her arm still aiming in the direction Aurite was coming from. "Sagitta's Kiss."

Aurite stopped dead in her track, her eyes widening. The arrow had suddenly started shining with a sickly green light, and it was now clear what it was for. She fell to her knees, clutching her chest as waves of pain shot through her body. "This... Isn't over, witch."

Saturn flinched as she saw Aurite vanish. "Did you kill her?"

"No, I just made sure she won't be able to fight for a few days."

"What did you exactly do?" Orion asked.

"Aurite's attack isn't really to have blasts appear from any direction. When she starts her attack, the Aurite you're seeing isn't the real one. She leaves an illusion behind to make you believe she's still right in front of you."

"I couldn't sense her anywhere except for where I was seeing her," Saturn noted.

"Your senses aren't still as good as they should be," Sagitta explained, "you would need to train for years before you could 'see' Aurite as I do."

"She's right," Orion said, "I've been training for a few years and I didn't notice Aurite wasn't there."

"What was that last attack?"

"The arrow wasn't really meant to disable her," Sagitta explained.

"But that 'Kiss' attack afterwards," Saturn guessed, "was."

"Yes. That's the strongest poison spell we Hunters know. It causes any poison in the target's body to increase its strength tenfold."

"Nice," Orion said.

"I must leave now," Sagitta noted. "And so should you. Farewell."

Saturn blinked as Sagitta vanished. "She's stronger than me. Why don't the Demon Hunters take care of youma too?"

"I'm not quite sure," Orion admitted, "but you should realize that she's not stronger than you. You're weaker than her."

"... I don't follow."

"It's simple. You're at your first 'level' of power. Sagitta, Hades and Aries are the strongest Demon Hunters alive... And they aren't much stronger than a third level Senshi."

"Oh. That means I've got a lot of room for improvement."

"You're already quite a warrior, Hotaru."

"Thanks," Saturn said with a smile.

"There, you did it again."

Saturn sighed. "You're a bad influence for me, that's all."

* * *

Karin was confused right now. The Senshi and these 'youma' were just fake, weren't they? Then how was it one of them had just drained her friend to near death, and was now snarling at her. "You bully, I'm not going to forgive you for what you've done!" she snapped at the creature. Bully was a bit weird a word to use here, since the monster did look like a bull. A humanoid bull.

"Stupid human girl, your energy is worthless, but I will drain you too if you insist!" the bull snapped back and charged at her. Much to his surprise, the human leapt to the side and punched him as he passed, sending him crashing to the ground. "How in darkness..."

"Did anyone mention darkness?"

The girl looked up at the same time the monster did, and saw a Senshi was standing on a nearby rooftop. The suit was like those described by her classmates, but the skirt and neck were black, and the bows were a dark shade of gray. "What the... Sailor Moon?"

The Senshi smiled at that. "No, not Moon. Nemesis."

"Nemesis?" The youma was shocked by that name. She was one of the strongest Senshi, if he was to trust legends. But this couldn't be the same one, it had to be a fake. "I will destroy you."

Nemesis leapt off the roof, landing near the youma. She had jumped from a three stories high building, Karin noticed, and hadn't even winced as she landed. "I doubt you can even hit me."

The youma snarled at that, and charged forwards. Nemesis waited until the very last second before she leapt aside, and the youma hissed by.

"Giving me your back is not polite," Nemesis noted. "Dark Core!" The creature veered left at the very last second, barely avoiding the dark ball. Nemesis wasn't expecting him to dodge, so she had no time to leap away.

Karin looked on as the bull crashed into a fashion store, dragging Nemesis along. "That one had to hurt."

"What's going on?"

She turned to see Chie trying to stand up. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I feel like a bull run over me," Chie muttered. "Where is it, anyhow?"

Just then, the 'bull' came walking out of the store. "Nemesis, stop hiding!"

"Oh, but why would I? Shadows are my element, after all," Nemesis voice said from somewhere inside the store.

"Hey, you dumb monster!" Chie shouted as loud as she could.

The youma turned to her. "Shut up, humans. I'll get you once I'm done with that weak Senshi."

Chie smiled. "No, you won't. As I said, you're a dumb monster."

"Dark Core!" The youma realized his error a split second before he felt the hit. Nemesis walked out of the store, and looked at the two girls. "Karin, you should get your friend to a hospital."

"I'm okay," Chie said.

"Trust me, it's better if you go see a doctor, just in case."

Karin realized something. "Hey, how did you know my name?"

Nemesis blinked at that, then smiled as she remembered what Moon had told her the first time she saved her. "We Senshi know everything."

"Uhm, right," Karin sighed. "I'm not going to question that. After all, I didn't think you existed."

"I have to go now, but I bet we'll meet again," Nemesis said, the leapt back to the rooftop she had first appeared on, and rushed away.

Karin saw Chie walk away. "Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm going home. I'm fine, really!"

"I'll get you to a doctor even if I have to drag you there."

Chie sighed in defeat. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

"That was good for a first battle."

Nemesis looked at Shade. "Too bad the other Senshi didn't show up."

"They were probably looking for the Princess."

"Well, I suppose I'll talk to them next time."

* * *

Next morning, Terry walked in to find the classroom was mostly empty. Naru and Umino were there, along with Karin, but he had apparently arrived a bit too early. "Morning, ladies."

"Sure, forget about me," Umino muttered. "Karin here was telling us about what happened yesterday after school."

Karin nodded. "I'll have to eat my words after this, but some bull-like monster attacked Chie."

Terry rose an eyebrow at that. The Senshi were all with him after school. "What happened?"

"I tried to fight it, but it was strong. Some girl calling herself Sailor Nemesis showed up, though, and saved us. I would say it was all fake if I hadn't seen her shoot some black energy ball at the monster."

Sailor Nemesis? Terry would have to ask the girls about it later on. "Is Chie okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine, but she's resting at her house for the day. You know her?"

"Chie Wanako, cheerleader squad's captain, and the leader of my now mostly gone fan club," Terry said.

"I'll tell her you asked about her," Karin commented. "And don't worry, she's not going to stalk you again."

"I'm not worried, I'll just hire some hitmen and have them shoot down any girl following me," Terry joked. At the others' stares, he sighed. "I was joking."

"You're a weird guy," Karin muttered.

"I know. It's part of my charm."

* * *

"... And then Nemesis left, she said."

Ami and Rei both looked at Terry in shock. "So there's another Senshi around?"

Usagi was confused "Nemesis? I thought Senshi were named after planets?"

"The Moon is not a planet, but a satellite," Terry noted, "but you're right, there's no planet Nemesis."

Luna smiled. "Nemesis, of course. The Senshi of Darkness."

"Isn't darkness evil?" Usagi asked.

"No element is evil on its own. Fire can keep you warm, or hurt you. Water keeps you alive, but it can also drown you. Darkness can blind you, but it can also hide you."

"In short, she's using darkness against evil. Kind of an opposite of Moon, isn't she?" Terry asked.

"No, light is Venus' element," Luna explained, "Moon's the only Senshi with no element."

"Then what's the deal with her tiara?"

"She uses raw mana in her attacks," Luna noted.

"Strange," Terry said. "So, what do we do about Nemesis?"

"Nothing. If she wants to join us, which would be the best thing for both parties, then she will come to us. Until she does, we'll just keep on fighting like we always do."

* * *

**A/N:** The Dark Kingdom saga will have less episodes than it had in Cyber Moon, but I guess it'll be longer as far as word count goes.

And there's still plenty of surprises left to see, even for those who read Cyber Moon.


	12. Friends and foes

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 12: Friends and foes.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: October 7, 2010_

* * *

Usagi stood in front of the jewelry and smiled. Her 'job' had been keeping her busy lately, and she hadn't seen Naru outside school for almost one week now, so she wanted to see if her friend was okay. She looked to the side and noticed Luna was staring at the building. She was giving it _that stare_. "Luna, what's wrong?"

"I'm sensing something inside the building."

"Aw, don't tell me she's getting attacked _again_?"

"No, it's not that, but..." Luna shook her head. "Let's just go in."

The two walked in, and as soon as they did, they saw Naru walking down the stairs. There was something besides her. A cat? No, Usagi saw the 'cat' had a crescent moon symbol on its forehead. "A mooncat?"

Naru looked at Usagi in shock. "How do you know?"

Shade smiled at the other cat. "Luna, is that you?"

"Shade!"

Usagi blinked as Luna walked to the other mooncat. "You know her?"

"Of course," Luna said, "this is the Nemesian mooncat, Shade."

Usagi looked at Naru. "Nemesian? From Nemesis?" It wasn't hard for her to guess what was going on, but it was quite hard to believe it.

Naru was glad there was nobody at the jewelry right now besides them. "Mom will be back soon, so let's go to my room."

* * *

He looked down at the city and smiled to himself. He could get used to living here, after he did what he had to do. He was ready now, with some help from his father. He had a few new toys to play with, so next time he saw one of those Generals, he would have some fun.

"I guess it will be sooner than I expected," Zero said to himself as he saw a woman in a military outfit appear out of thin air. He couldn't see her clearly from the rooftop he was on, but her white hair could only mean she was... "Finally, that bitch stopped hiding," he muttered as he picked up his airboard and tossed it out of the rooftop, leaping after it.

* * *

"Damn it, it's not here either," Luminite growled to herself as she walked out of the store.

"Missed something, snow white?"

Luminite looked at the guy on the strange floating board and laughed. "Oh, this is cute. The failure comes to avenge his dead mate."

"The way I remember it, you had to tag-team with another loser to defeat her. I can beat you on my own."

"Stop bluffing, kid, you can't do a thing to me as long as I stay out of your swords' reach."

"Oh is that so?" Zero said and tossed a couple small metal spheres at Luminite. "Say 'cough.'"

Luminite was about to snap back at him, when the spheres exploded, filling everything around her with a foul-smelling gas. "Agh! Damn it, brat, now I'm going to really enjoy killing you!"

Zero wasn't too fond of fair battles, so he rushed at her, slashing her side just as she walked out of the 'smoke' cloud. "See, I've improved. You didn't even get to hit me before I made you bleed."

The woman let out a snarl and shot an energy blast at point blank range. Zero crashed on a wall and dropped to the ground. "Aww, dead so soon? I was hoping you would last a bit longer. Oh well..." She turned to leave, but then felt something stabbing through her arm, and let out a yelp.

Zero stood up and smiled at the surprised Luminite. "You took a crash course on stupidity while I wasn't looking, right?"

Luminite was rather surprised. That blast should have been enough to kill him, or at least knock him out. Either he was stronger than she had anticipated, or there was something else. Since he _couldn't_ be underestimated, she could guess what the deal was. "Oh, I get it now. Your suit looks a bit... Different."

"You noticed? Yeah, this is not just a cloth suit, youma, its material was supposed to be resistant to magic. The guess was right, as you just saw."

"Cute, is it resistant to swords?" Luminite asked, then summoned a crystal blade. "Don't answer that, let's find out."

"Be my guest," Zero snapped and readied his two swords.

* * *

Usagi was a bit shocked at what she had just learned. Would all her friends turn out to be Senshi? "So you're one of us."

Naru nodded. "Yes, I'm Sailor Nemesis. And I'm guessing you're Sailor Moon."

Usagi smiled. "That's me."

"We Senshi know everything, huh?" Naru mused.

"What would you have said in my place?" Usagi asked.

Naru blinked at that. "Guess you're right. So, who are the other Senshi?"

"The priestess of Hikawa Shrine is Sailor Mars, and Ami is Mercury."

"Wait... Mizuno, the genius?"

Usagi giggled. "I know, hard to believe."

"Well, as a matter of fact, my clumsy, naive, lazy childhood friend Usagi is Sailor Moon. That one's harder to believe."

Usagi frowned. "Hey now..."

"Wait, who is the ninja?" Shade asked. "Is he one of the Dragons?"

"No, he's not," Luna explained, "he's fighting for a different reason than us, but he wants to stop the youma, just like we do."

"And who is he?" Naru asked.

"Terry."

Naru shook his head. "Okay, that one's not who I expected."

"Who did you think it could be, Umino?" Usagi asked.

Naru tried to imagine Umino in a ninja suit, and shook her head again. "No way."

Usagi suddenly reached her hand out, and her communicator appeared in it. "What's wrong?"

Mars' face appeared in the small screen. "Moon, I just saw another General. A female one. Zero is fighting her, but he may need help. They're a few blocks north from the shrine."

A female General? Usagi could guess she was _that General_, judging by Mars' face right now. "We'll be right there."

"We?" Mars asked. "I already called Mercury."

"I'll explain when we get there," Usagi said and put the comm away.

Naru looked at Usagi. "That ninja guy is taking on one of the Generals? He must be insane."

"No, he's just... She's the reason he came here in the first place," Usagi said. "I have to go now, will you help me?"

Naru smiled. "Of course. Lead the way, Sailor Moon."

* * *

Mars checked on the battle again, and shook her head. Zero was good with his swords, but Luminite had shot him several times in the last few minutes, and he was visibly slower now than he had been at first. "I know he won't be thrilled if I interrupt his duel, but... Fire Soul!"

The Fire Senshi had been extra careful to remain hidden from the two, specially from Luminite. And it paid off, as her fire blast sent a _very surprised_ Luminite sailing back and crashing into a parked car. "What the darkness?"

Mars came out of hiding and glared at the woman. "I don't know what you're doing here, but you should leave while you can."

Zero used the distraction to recover his breath. "Good timing, Mars. But you could have helped me minutes ago, right?"

How did he... Oh right, his watch. "Sorry, I thought you wouldn't like someone interfering with..."

"With my vendetta?" Zero smirked at that. "I know I will need help beating this bitch, or I wouldn't have joined you girls."

"You won't defeat me, Zero," Luminite snapped. "Even with your new toys, you are nothing against me."

"The way I see it, I just have to make sure I aim for the neck first next time we fight."

Luminite was about to say something, but then saw a few figures in the distance. No, it wasn't worth the pain, what she was looking for wasn't here, after all. "We'll see about that, next time."

The other Senshi all came running in just as Luminite vanished. "Was that who I think it was?" Moon asked.

"Luminite," Zero said, then noticed the new Senshi, "You must be Nemesis."

"She's Naru," Moon said. That caused the others to look at her in shock. "Yeah, I know, surprised me too."

"Is there even a planet Nemesis?" Zero pondered.

"The tenth planet, Planet X, I've heard it called many names," Shade explained, "I know scientists haven't found it yet, but it's out there, far beyond Pluto's orbit."

"And who are you?"

"Name's Shade, the mooncat of Nemesis."

Zero smiled at that. "Shouldn't that be a _Nemesiscat_?"

"Ignore him, he's got those dumb blonde moments," Luna noted. She then looked around. "Strange. There's no traces of her draining anyone in this area."

"Luminite, you mean?" Zero said, "I noticed that, too... But I was too focused in slashing her to pieces, so I forgot to ask."

"We'll have to ask her next time we see her. Or one of her youma."

Nemesis shook her head at Mars' words. "No, the one I beat wasn't one of Luminite's youma. It was Nephrite's."

"Nephrite?" Moon asked. "So there's more than one General around?"

Mercury had been silent, but decided to speak up. She had her visor on and was looking at Zero. "What exactly is that suit made of?"

Moon hadn't really paid attention to it, but she could see Zero's suit was different. It looked the same, but it had a metallic hue. "Hey, you already got a new suit? I thought the leader was the one who always got it first!"

Zero chuckled at that. "This suit is made of a new material. Dad didn't want to tell me what it was, but he said it was called the Element Zero. A fitting material for me to use, right?"

"So other than looking different..." Mars said.

"It was tested against gunshots, fire, ice... Nothing short of a tank's shell will get through it, but I'll still feel the punch. And the little experiment I just finished tells me this suit is also highly resistant to magic."

Mercury rose an eyebrow. "Is it resistant to any kind of magic?"

"Fire Soul!" The others gasped as Mars shot Zero. The ninja was sent sailing back, but rolled as he landed, using the momentum to stand up. "Guess it is."

"Thanks for the warning," Zero muttered.

Nemesis looked at Moon. "In case you didn't still figure it out, Nephrite is..."

"Nei Furita," Mercury interrupted. At Nemesis' surprised stare, she smiled shyly. "It was an easy guess to make once I knew the name of that General."

"He's apparently targeting one single person each time," Nemesis noted, "so we should keep an eye on him. And also... I need to speak to him."

Shade looked at her. "I've told you, he's not the same..."

"You can't be sure of that."

"What are you talking about?" Moon asked.

Nemesis looked around. "Is there anywhere we can go to talk? I'm sure there will be a crowd here soon."

"Let's go to the shrine, grandpa must be sleeping right now," Mars said.

* * *

"So that's a General," Mira said calmly.

"I don't think we can take on one of them," Calisto noted. "In fact I don't know how that ninja guy managed to take a hit from her... Or from Mars."

"There's definitely more to that guy than meets the eye," Circe agreed. "It would be easier to figure out if we knew who he is."

"We can't do that," Mira said, "remember our orders."

"We were ordered not to actively research anything about the Senshi," Circe admitted, "that much I agree with. But this man is not one of the Dragons."

Calisto chuckled as she watched the Senshi walk away. "I don't know if I should be impressed or ashamed of your ability to find loopholes in our orders."

* * *

Minutes later, the Senshi were all at the shrine, now in their 'civilian' forms. Naru was just done explaining what she remembered of her past life.

Ami looked at Naru. "So you and Nephrite were in love in your past life?"

"Neir, that was his name before Beryl corrupted him."

"I didn't remember that," Luna said, "not about the Generals being human."

"That explains why they don't change into creepy monsters," Usagi noted.

"They're creepy enough as they are," Rei noted.

"Anyway, we have to stop the youma. Even if that means killing Nephrite."

"I know that, Shade," Naru said, "but maybe if I speak to him..."

"Hmph. All right, but don't forget the mission."

Terry shrugged. "Some of us have 'side quests' too. Next time Luminite shows up, I call dibs on ripping her apart."

"So much for you helping us, huh?" Rei mused.

"Any of us can try and shoot at her while she's distracted," Ami guessed.

Terry nodded. "Yeah. I think I've told you girls before, I don't really care about being the one who kills that bastard. I just want to be there to see it happen."

"I don't think they're ready to kill a General yet," Luna noted.

"If my readings aren't fooling me, they are more than capable of that already," Terry explained, "But I'm just basing this on my fight with Luminite, and she might be the weakest General. If they all fight together, they could finish Luminite, Jadeite, or maybe some of the strongest Generals."

"Do you mind explaining that?"

Terry smiled at Rei. "Let's suppose Moon is the 'one hundred mark' of the scale I've been using. Your power would be ninety-five, and Ami's would be eighty. This just measures magic power, however. You've got the best melee abilities of the three, and Ami's got her brain power."

"What about Naru?" Usagi asked.

"I never saw her fight," Terry admitted, "I can't just go wild-guessing her power."

"Wait, what about Luminite?"

"Her power's around the eighties. Jadeite's power was far closer to Moon's. I'm guessing the rest of the Generals might be stronger. But here's the trick: When there's more than one of you in a fight, your power seems to go up."

"How can that be possible?" Naru asked.

"You're supposed to be a team," Luna noted, "I know I told my group we would be stronger as we gathered more members."

Terry nodded at that, "so if I'm guessing this right, if you four team up, you could all get really close to the hundreds mark. And Usagi here would be near one hundred and fifty."

"She would get a fifty percent power increase just by us being around?" Ami asked. "That sounds unlikely."

Usagi shook her head. "He may be right. I noticed this first time he showed up. Remember when I fought at that flower shop? I didn't want to admit it, but that youma was quite hard to fight."

"We had been fighting them together for a while," Rei noted, "so when you tried to fight alone..."

"Power's not that important, though," Terry said, "I managed to hit Luminite twice today, and my own power's just above ten 'points.'"

Ami thought about it for a few seconds. "So even if one of those Generals is at, let's say, the five hundreds mark..."

"Teamwork and strategy can defeat them," Terry completed.

Ami was deep in thought for a few seconds. "But what was Luminite doing there? She didn't drain anyone."

"I heard her say 'it's not here, either' when I reached her. Maybe she's looking for the Princess?"

"I don't know, but we should be careful," Luna said, "no matter what they're looking for, we can't let them find it."

* * *

Terry had decided to walk home, as he had a couple thinks he wanted to think about. First was Luminite. It had been clear from their fight that she was still underestimating him. However, she was still out of his league. And despite what he had told the others, a part of him was disappointed. A part of him wanted to kill that woman, it just wouldn't do to have someone else do it for him.

The second thing he needed to think about... Yes, there it was again, he realized as he looked at his watch. He had detected these faint energy readings, first during the airport incident, and today while he fought. Whatever it was, it was following him. "You know, whoever you are, you need to work on your stealth."

There was no reply, and he noticed the direction of the reading changed. He looked around to make sure there was nobody around, then casually tossed one of his gas bombs over his shoulder, straight to the roof where he knew his stalker was hiding.

A surprised yelp was heard, followed by the pop of the bomb, and a figure leapt off the roof, falling right in front of him as he turned around. "Okay, you're no youma, and fangirls don't usually have magic auras. Speak."

Mira was shocked. He had somehow sensed her presence. He probably had known all along, and had played along until now. They had clearly underestimated this guy. "My boss is going to give us an earful for this..."

Terry frowned at that. "Boss? Who do you work for?"

Mira looked at the guy. She could easily knock him out and leave, but... They weren't supposed to make enemies out of the Senshi. "I can't tell you that, but we're not your enemies."

"If you wanted to attack us, you would have done so today, or a few days ago."

Mira flinched. He had noticed them back then as well? "We're not supposed to reveal ourselves to the Senshi, but that's a moot point now. Name's Hunter Mira."

"Hunter Mira? What do you hunt?"

"Full name would be Demon Hunter Mira."

Terry stared at her for a few seconds. "Never heard of that."

"We work from the shadows, keeping the Earth in one piece and hunting any aliens or monsters that show up."

"And you're hunting youma?"

Mira shook her head. "As long as the Senshi keep them in check, we don't need to interfere. But we'll still keep an eye on things around the world."

Terry thought about it for a moment. "I could tell the Senshi about you. You know who I am, you could find out who they are thanks to that and... I'm not quite buying your story."

"I have no means of stopping you from telling them. I am forbidden from harming a normal human being, or anyone allied to the Senshi."

"I sure am lucky," Terry muttered. "Why don't you girls just stop screwing around and join the Senshi? They could use the help."

"We... Aren't allowed to do that, either."

"Then I won't waste my time with you. Having as much power as I detect in you and not using it? It's a waste, and your 'boss,' whoever he or she is, should already know that."

Mira growled at him as he started walking away. "Hey, who do you think you are?"

"Someone who is willing to risk his life for others, even though I don't have any of that 'magic' of yours. Keep your fancy title, I'll keep on fighting."

Mira turned and stomped off, not bothering to look behind. That guy, what right did he have to patronize her? And he knew they were around, she would have to report that to the Primes, and that made her temper get even darker. "Should've left Circe do this..." She muttered as she walked out of view.

Terry had watched her go, and sighed. He wondered if Luna knew about these Demon Hunters? Should he tell the others about this? He didn't need to think about that for too long, if they didn't know and thought these Hunters were enemies... Yes, things could get ugly.

* * *

**A/N:** Terry sure knows how to make a girl happy. Or extremely pissed off at him, in this case.

_Sentinel Proxima_ Yes, that was I meant, and after re-watching that episode, I'm still not convinced it's not telekinesis. The animation fails to make it clear enough, I guess.


	13. A sound of thunder

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 13: A sound of thunder.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: November 25, 2010_

* * *

"Demon Hunters? The name sounds familiar, but I don't know who they are, or were," Luna admitted.

Shade shrugged. "From the bits and pieces of the past I can remember, they were on our side back then. It didn't take them long to blow their cover, though."

"Wait, you know them?" Terry asked. He had called the girls and they were all in his mansion once again.

"We met them during the airport battle," Naru noted, "and I don't think they're trying to frame us."

"And even if they were," Terry said, "they're as weak as a normal youma... Unless the one I saw was a rookie, which would explain a lot."

"We could use their help," Usagi said.

"I don't know, apparently their 'boss' doesn't let them interfere, just watch."

Rei snorted at that. "Either they trust our skills, or they don't want to get their hands dirty."

Ami had been checking her computer. "I found something else. They're not really weaker than us, in fact the strongest Demon Hunters were as powerful as a fourth level Senshi."

"Fourth level?" Terry asked. ?

"It's the stages of a Senshi's power, so to speak," Luna explained. "Right now they're at their weakest, but their power will grow exponentially with each new stage they reach."

"Exponentially, huh?"

"I remember a rumor," Shade added, "of the strongest Senshi being able to destroy planets."

"Wow, that's some power," Terry said with a smile. "But back to the Hunters..."

"The one you met is probably a weak Hunter. The main difference between them and Senshi, other than the limit of their power, is that they don't specialize in any element."

"So they're weaker but can use all elements," Ami said, almost in a whisper, then in a normal voice, she added, "their 'boss,' whoever it is, should be far stronger than us."

"It's also a matter of mana reserves and gathering," Shade noted. "Senshi have the ability to gather mana even when unconscious or asleep, and they do so without having to focus at all. Normal humans could emulate such a skill, but it would take them years to master it, and their reserves would not be as high."

"Senshi are like mana batteries, then," Terry said. "I get what you're saying. These Hunters may be stronger, but their mana will also be depleted faster. If the youma dodge, they're screwed."

"Think they will follow you again?"

Terry shook his head. "I'm sure this Mira girl will tell her allies I know about them. I don't think they're going to be playing hide and seek anymore."

* * *

"You really screwed up out there."

Mira glared at her ally. "You would've been found just as easily."

"But we know who the guy is," Calisto noted, "we could follow him..."

"Didn't you hear what I said? He knows we've been following them."

Circe shrugged. "That's not what we should be worrying about. We need to give Aries our report."

"I'll do that myself."

"Mira, you said it yourself, any of us could have been found out. In fact, we've been found out by that guy from the start. We're a team, and if there's any punishment for this failure, we're taking it as a team."

Calisto nodded at that. "We're not only a team. We're friends."

Mira smiled at the other two Hunters. "Okay, let's do this. Just don't tell my brother about this. He'll keep nagging me about it until we're sixty."

"Why aren't you in his team?"

"He wants no help from any other Hunter," Mira explained. "He's not telling me why, though."

"Maybe he doesn't want you butting in while he's dating a Senshi."

"He's not..." Mira sighed. "... Well, at least he wasn't, last time I spoke to him."

* * *

Usagi walked in and saw a new girl was sitting near her seat. She walked to her and smiled. "Hi, you must be new, my name's Usagi Tsukino."

"I'm Makoto Kino," the girl said in a neutral tone. The other students had not said a word to her, most likely the rumors had already reached them. But this one, maybe she hadn't heard them yet.

Kino, like the General? Usagi hid her surprise, her smile not faltering as she looked at the girl. "You must miss your old school."

"Not really, everyone in my old school were jerks," Makoto said. She was still upset at all the murmurs from the rest of the class, but this girl... Something about her made it easy to talk to her. "You haven't heard the rumors yet?"

"No, why?"

"Well..."

Umino popped up from besides Usagi right then. It was one of the uncanny skills that boy had. "Rumors say she got kicked out of her last school for bullying someone."

Makoto shook her head at that. "It's not my fault they tried to pick a fight with me. They attacked first."

"They?"

Makoto looked at Umino. "Yes. Five guys. Quite unfair odds, if you ask me."

Umino had to admit the rumors were most likely false. This girl was taller than most other girls her age, but she didn't seem to be the bully type. "Unfair odds, indeed. So, you managed to win, somehow?"

"I 'managed' to win, of course. I said the odds were unfair, but I meant that from their point of view."

"Wait, if they attacked you..."

Makoto smiled at Usagi. "I have no proof of that other than my word, and the 'leader' of that little gang's friends with the principal. Oh well, maybe this school will be different."

Just then, Terry walked in, noticing Makoto, and stared at her. "You don't look like they were describing you out there."

"I know," Makoto said. "Are you done staring?"

Terry smiled. "Uh, yeah, I guess I am. You're Kino, right? Any connection to the army guy?"

Makoto nodded. "He's my uncle. How do you know him?"

"Information's a valuable thing."

"You must be Zephyr. Rumors said you were a grim bastard who chases girls away."

"Depends on the girl," Terry admitted, "and I'm working on the 'grim bastard' part." "He's got his moments," Usagi noted, "but he's a nice guy when he's not being moody."

"Are you two..."

Terry shook his head. "No, of course not."

"Oh, then the _other_ rumor may be true."

Terry looked down. "Yeah, that one is."

"Sorry."

"Don't worry, I'll get over it. Eventually."

* * *

Beryl wasn't happy. Not that she had many reasons to be happy, lately, but her soldiers were failing too much, and too often. They were all in front of her throne, waiting for her to speak. "Kunzite, Aurite, I'm disappointed by your performance. I can almost justify the Tokyo group's failures, since they're fighting several Senshi, but you two only have to deal with a Senshi and a mage in each location."

"I will make no excuses," Kunzite said as he bowed, "but we have both been gathering more energy than the Tokyo group."

"I am aware of that," Beryl admitted, "but I want you to put killing those Senshi as a priority. Our scientists have analyzed the data on the Senshi, and they grow stronger as more of them gather."

"We will focus on bringing them down, then," Aurite said.

"Zoicite, have you found anything about the Ginzuishou yet?"

"No. It's almost as if the crystal was moving from place to place."

"Strange," Luminite admitted, "is it in one of those vehicles humans have?"

"It's a possibility," Zoicite admitted, "we will have to test that theory."

The Queen looked at her Generals. "Remember, we must hurry if we want to take over the planet. Awakening our goddess or finding the Ginzuishou would both make us stronger. And if we kill some of the Senshi before our goddess is back, dealing with the rest will be easier. And there's their Princess to deal with, if she was revived along with the others." She knew the Princess was one of the reasons they had lost in the past. She had underestimated that brat, but she would not make that mistake again.

* * *

After school, Terry had decided to make a bit of 'field research' of his own. He had followed Furita, who was, surprisingly, playing along with the "human" act. Furita had a nice sports car (maybe evil did pay after all?) and Terry, or rather Zero, had followed him, staying out of the man's sight.

The car stopped at a park and Zero landed in a small group of trees, turning back to his normal form as he did. He immediately noticed someone familiar there, and for some reason, knew that was his target.

Ami had been in the park for several minutes, sitting in a bench as she typed commands into her computer. She had been searching for clues on whatever the youma were after, but nothing she could see in the database was helping her. But there were too many sectors of the database protected with passwords, or magic, and she hadn't been able to unlock any of those yet.

She noticed someone walking to her out of the corner of her eye, and was about to look at the person, when she heard a grunt. Looking up, she saw the person was Furita, and that he had a small knife lodged in his arm. "Oh dear..."

Furita growled. The park was almost empty, so he had no qualms about transforming into his true self. He looked at the knife almost dismissively, despite the pain he was feeling, and pulled it off. "Must be that stupid underling."

"I prefer the term 'sidekick' myself," Zero noted as he calmly walked out from behind a tree. He looked at his watch and knew this would be an 'enjoyable' fight. This guy was stronger than Luminite, by quite a bit.

Nephrite realized what the others had said was right. This guy had no magic at all. Yet, this was the same guy who had given Luminite a beating last time they fought, so he knew better than underestimated him. "Just let me take care of this girl, then I'll fight you. Deal?"

Zero laughed at that. "I would agree, but since there's no girl..."

"What do you mean..." Nephrite looked around and saw his target was gone. "I will have to kill you for that."

"You're welcome to try," Zero noted, readying his swords.

"Why should I bother fighting you myself, when I can just have someone else do it for me?" Nephrite commented as a figure appeared right besides him. It was a youma, but it looked a lot like the minotaurs of legend. "Taurenis, destroy him."

Zero managed to leapt out of the way as the bull charged at him, and the creature crashed right through a tree, stopping only to get his bearings and locate his target. The creature charged again, and Zero leapt out of the way once more. This time, however, the bull made a sharp turn and headed straight to Zero had landed.

"This is going to hurt."

"Dark Core!"

"... Or maybe not," Zero said as he saw the creature turn to dust right in front of him. "Thanks for the help, Nemesis."

"I've never liked bullies," Nemesis said, not aware of the pun she was making. "Neir!"

Nephrite stopped searching for his target as he heard that. "What... Nadja?"

Nemesis looked at him. "So you remember me."

"We don't have to fight."

"I will fight you if you don't stop draining humans."

"I'm sorry, I can't agree to that."

"Shabon Spray!"

Nephrite was suddenly surrounded by a thick fog, and looked around. "That's a nice trick. Sailor Mercury, I assume?"

"That's right. Give up or we'll attack you."

"Your mist blocks vision, and that may be enough when fighting mere youma, but..." he smiled as he looked straight to where he knew Mercury was, "...don't underestimate us Generals!" He shot a blast as he said that, and heard a surprised yelp. "We may not see you, but we can still sense your magic."

"Mercury!"

Nephrite was about to gloat, when he felt something hit him from behind. "What the Darkness..."

"You were so focused in fighting Senshi, you forgot about me. A dumb mistake to make in a battle, youma."

"A mistake I won't make twice," Nephrite snapped. He walked forwards, pulling the sword out of his stomach, and turned to face Zero... Who wasn't there anymore. "What?"

"Dark Core!"

The hit knocked Nephrite down, and he realized the two wounds were slowing him down. "Damn it... I'll get you back for this!"

Zero looked around as the mist vanished, and saw Mercury staggering up. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Mercury said. "Thanks for the help."

"I was just passing by," Nemesis noted.

"I was following Nephrite," Zero said.

"Be careful, if he notices you..."

"I'll just run my sword through him again."

"Don't get cocky, he's not the kind to play fair when he really wants to win," Nemesis warned. She then reached her hand out, her communicator appearing in it as she did. "Moon, what's wrong?"

"Where were you, guys?"

"Busy beating Nephrite around," Zero said.

"Oh. Did he hurt anyone?"

"He was going to drain me, but Zero stopped him," Mercury said.

"We're just done fighting a new General," Mars explained, "they're looking for something, but they seem to have no idea where it is."

"Oh, and we also got a new member," Moon said.

That last bit made the three at the park look at each other. "A new Senshi?"

"Yeah, let me explain..."

* * *

Usagi liked walking home after school, but she was starting to regret doing it this particular day. Looking over her shoulders, she could see the three men still following her. She was pretty sure she knew what these guys were after, so she needed to get home, and fast.

Being so intent in looking back, however, she didn't see the person walking around the corner until it was too late to dodge. Both went down, and the three men stared amusedly as the two girls tried to stand up.

"Hey, watch where you're going, you..." The other girl realized who this was and caught herself before completing her phrase. "Tsukino?"

Usagi saw who she had crashed on and gasped. "Makoto? I'm sorry, but I was in a hurry..." the blonde looked around and realized her little accident had helped her pursuers catch up with her. Worse yet, there were five of them, not three. "Oh dear..."

"Look at this, guys, we chased one little fish and got two instead."

Makoto stood up, glaring at the man. "Go away before you hurt yourselves."

"Ooooh! Scary!" She was a bit intimidating, actually, now that she had stood up, as she was several years younger than him, but was a few inches taller. "We just want the blondie, so how 'bout you walk away instead?"

"Oh, is that so? Okay then..." She said all this in a rather casual tone, so the left hook she threw at the man was completely unexpected. And painful, too.

"Argh! My nose!" The man staggered back. "Get her, you morons!"

Two of the men quickly grabbed her arms, immobilizing her... Or so they thought. As one of their friends rushed in to hit her, Mako gave him a headbutt, sending him crashing down. That surprised the two holding her, but not as much as her following headbutt, which sent one of her 'captors' staggering back.

Usagi had managed to move to the side, and was watching everything with a mixture of shock and awe. Makoto, now free to use one hand, punched the other man hard enough to make him fall back and release his hold on her. The last of the group glared at her and took a knife out of his pocket.

Makoto smiled at this. "Bringing a knife to a fistfight? You're quite the coward."

"I'll shut you up, girly!"

Makoto waited as the man charged, and backstepped in the last second, barely avoiding being stabbed. As the man passed by her, she knocked him down with an elbow to the back of his head.

Usagi saw the men stagger up and grimaced. Maybe she could transform and stop them? No, Luna said her powers could be deadly for humans. But these guys were going to... No, they weren't fighting, they were running away. "That was..."

Makoto looked at her. "You okay?"

"That was awesome."

Makoto smiled. "I just don't like to see people picking on those weaker than them. No offense intended."

Usagi smiled back. "None taken."

Makoto was about to say something, but a strange noise stopped her. "What was that?"

Usagi leaned around the corner and gasped. "More of them?"

Makoto looked at the scene and couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had heard about monsters attacking people in the city, but she thought they were just dumb rumors. Right now, one of those dumb rumors was ripping a car appart, as a strange looking woman stood besides it. People was running away from the creature, but for some reason, she wasn't too scared of it, herself... Maybe it was because the monster looked like a humanoid ferret with large metal mallets for hands. It was too ugly to be scary.

"I guess we should run and hide until..." Usagi started, but saw Makoto walk out and to the monster. "Wait!"

"Hey you, creep!"

"Hmph, who is this?" the woman besides the monster asked looking at her. "Aw, just some dumb human with a death wish."

"Well, I was talking to your friend, but you're quite a creepy-looking lady."

Zoicite laughed at that. "Who said I'm a lady, kid?"

Makoto blinked at that. "That doesn't really help your case."

Zoicite looked at the monster. "Marret, get her!"

The youma growled and rushed at the girl. However, the girl gave a small leap to the side, dodging the mallet blow. "Okay, you attacked first, now's my turn!" She tackled the monster, punching it in the stomach before jumping away again.

Usagi could only stand there staring as Mako fought the creature for a minute. A normal human girl, taking on youma like that?

"Usagi, what the hell are you doing? Go transform!"

The blonde looked down and saw Luna standing there. "Uh... Right. I'll be right back!"

Luna looked at the girl fighting the youma. "I can sense magic in that girl. Is she one of the Demon Hunters, or is she..."

Zoicite was fed up. A mere human, knocking his youma around like it was a weakling? "Enough of this. Down you go!"

Makoto didn't see the beam, but she sure felt its effects. She was knocked to the ground, and as she looked up, she saw the creature raising one of its hands. "Oh crap..."

"Fire Soul!"

"Moon Tiara Action!"

The two magic blasts hit the creature, vaporizing it on the spot. Zoicite looked to the side and sighed. "So the mighty Sailor Senshi decided to show up. I suppose I can amuse me with you two for a while."

"What are you up to, youma?" Mars snapped

"Just searching for a little something, but our theories were apparently wrong."

"We're tired of you guys," Moon said, "for wrecking cars, we will punish you!"

Mars shook her head at that. "You should really stop that, Moon."

"I agree," Zoicite said, "and she will never say anything again once I'm done with you two!"

Makoto saw the evil man start shooting at the two Senshi, who could only dodge as he laughed. "What the hell's going on?"

"You really want to know? I can tell you."

The girl looked down to the cat and shook her head. A talking cat wasn't all that weird a thing to see right now. "Uh, what do you mean you can tell me?"

Luna looked at the girl. "You want to help them, don't you?"

"Yes, but I'm just..."

Luna saw a symbol appear briefly in the girl's forehead. "You're like them." She leapt up, spinning in mid-air. As she landed, a wand like the ones she had given Mars and Mercury before appeared. "Hold that wand and shout 'Jupiter Planet Power.'"

Makoto was too confused to complain about how stupid it all sounded. She took the wand and looked at it for a few seconds before she decided to give it a try. "Jupiter Planet Power!"

Rings of electricity appeared around her, spinning as her body lit up. The ring shrank fast until they touched her, but she felt no pain. As the light around her dimmed, she was wearing a suit like those Moon and Mars had, but the skirt and neck were green, and the bows pink. "Wow, this is strange. So, kitty, what do I do now?"

"Search for the words in your mind. Focus and you will find them."

"Focus and..." She thought about it for a second, and knew the cat was right. "Here goes nothing. Jupiter... Supreme..." She crossed her arms in front of her body, and her gloves started crackling with electricity. "... Thunder!" She aimed both hands at Zoicite as she said that, and an electric beam shot forth, hitting the unaware General and sending him flying forwards.

"Fire Soul!"

Mars' blast hit Zoicite as he tried to stand up, and the General knew he was on the losing side now. "We'll settle this next time," he said before teleporting away.

Moon looked at the new Senshi in awe. "Wow... Who are you?"

"She's the girl you were talking to before," Luna said.

"Makoto?"

"She's Sailor Jupiter," Luna added.

"Sailor Jupiter?" Jupiter asked. "Wait, who are you girls?"

Moon looked around to make sure there were no witnesses, then turned back to normal. "Welcome to the team, Makoto."

Jupiter smiled. "Call me Mako. Now, explain what the heck's going on, please."

Luna nodded. "Okay, but we should look for a more private place."

"Let's go to the shrine, grandpa's out shopping right now," Mars suggested.

"I'll call the others and tell them about this," Moon said as she summoned her communicator.

* * *

**A/N:** I could have copy-pasted most of Jupiter's intro from Cyber Moon and get this chapter done one month ago, but I'm trying to avoid repeating a lot of scenes from the old version. It's harder than it sounds, trust me, but also worth the extra wait (I hope.)

Update: No, you're not reading wrong. The former Book 3 became Book 2 after I realized the first two books wouldn't have enough chapters on their own, and after making a slight change in the plotlines for them.


	14. Double edged crystals

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 14: Double-edged crystals.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: December 12, 2010_

* * *

Mako had listened to the others as they explained what they were fighting against. "Okay, I think I get it."

"So, are you okay with all this?" Usagi asked.

"I've never liked people who pick on those weaker than them, and these youma seem to fit that group nicely."

"They also pick on those stronger than they are," Terry noted, "and sometimes it works well for them. The others nodded at that, guessing what he meant.

"Uh, Luna, I do have a question."

Luna looked at Mako. "What is it?"

"This Princess you speak of. Couldn't she be one of us?"

"She may be one of the Senshi that hasn't awakened yet," Luna guessed.

Ami nodded. "I have a guess on what they're looking for. The Princess used an artifact called Ginzuishou, which may have been hidden somewhere on Earth."

Luna and Shade looked at each other. "The Ginzuishou, of course..."

"Your memory's quite a mess, isn't it?" Terry mused.

"We're quite aware of that," the two cats said in unison.

"But they're only looking in Tokyo," Rei noted, "as far as we know, anyhow."

"That means the crystal is here, in Tokyo," Luna said, "but why wreck a car?"

Usagi shrugged. "Maybe they thought the crystal was in that car?"

"Can't you modify your watch to find it?"

Terry shook his head at Rei's question. "The best I can do is find the youma, and the range of this thing's quite limited. Once they, or us, find the crystal, I may be able to add its energy signature to my watch. Not much of a point doing it by then, though."

"But if they find it, we're kinda screwed, aren't we?" Mako asked.

"Not if we manage to take it before they do," Terry noted.

"They won't find it," Luna said, "not if they keep looking for the Ginzuishou."

"Anyone else is lost, or is it just me?" Naru asked.

Luna sighed as she prepared to explain what she meant. "I'm recalling some things from the past related to the crystal. After the youma were banished, the crystal was split in seven pieces by the Queen. That was meant to make it harder for the youma to find it."

"It will make it harder for us to find it, too," Rei noted.

"We at least know it's not in one piece," Luna explained, "and that gives us an advantage over youma."

"Can you feel the crystals?"

"I would feel their magic if I were close to them, I suppose. I wouldn't know what kind of magic it is, though."

"Yeah, you thought both me and Ami were youma at first," Rei noted.

"Won't deny that. At least this time around I could tell it was a Senshi," Luna said looking at Mako.

"If there's more than one piece, and we get one of them, I'm sure I can turn my watch into a scanner for them," Terry said.

"But what if you're not around?" Naru asked.

"I could make scanners for everyone, I suppose."

"Wouldn't something like that cost a lot of money?" Usagi asked.

"A country would cost a lot of money. A few scanners? Not so much."

Usagi shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder about you, Terry."

"Why, you prefer me brooding and sulking?"

Usagi smiled. "Guess not."

"You really look like a couple sometimes," Mako noted.

"Of course not!" both Usagi and Terry said in unison.

"Yeah, that kind of reaction will make it easy to believe you," Rei joked.

* * *

"Aries, we know we've failed, but..."

Aries wasn't really in the room, yet the three Hunters could almost feel the stare she was giving each of them. "In a way, you have failed. You were told not to reveal yourselves to the Senshi, yet you kept messing with the rules. Still... From your reports, it's become clear to us Primes that the Senshi need help, no matter how small."

"But mo..." Mira caught herself and grimaced, "Aries, what do you mean?"

Aries looked at Mira. "I suppose it's okay for you to call me 'mother,' it's not like your friends don't know, and... You love to break the rules. At least I hope you learnt something from this last incident."

Mira nodded. "I've been thinking about what he told me, and maybe he's right. We shouldn't be hiding like this, we can help them fight youma, just like Orion. "

"Orion's case is... Special. But yes, after hearing your report, I agree it would be pointless continuing with your missions only as watchers. Help the Tokyo Senshi, let them know we're their allies."

"As you wish, Prime Hunter Aries. Will you be helping too?"

"I suppose this old woman could still be of help out there," Aries said, "I'll think about it. Good luck, Emi."

Mira smiled at that. "Thanks, mother."

* * *

"The crystal wasn't in a vehicle, but it's definitely moving," Zoicite noted.

"I hadn't considered this, but perhaps... The crystal is inside a human?"

Zoicite felt like slapping his forehead, but stopped himself short of actually doing it. "Darkness, why didn't we think of that before? There's always a few humans around when we go searching for the crystal."

Luminite smiled. "I'll go check this theory. With some luck, I'll be able to deal with that Zero kid once and for all."

"Be careful with that."

"Wow, Zoicite, you're worried about me?"

"Not at all, but remember the mission's more important than your personal amusement."

"Hmph. You know me, Zoicite, so you shouldn't be saying that."

Zoicite looked at the spot Luminite had been standing on for a few seconds. "Of course I know you, that's exactly why I'm telling you that."

* * *

Usagi looked at the lunchbox in awe. "Whoa... Who cooked that?"

Mako smiled at her. She had invited Usagi outside during lunch, and the blonde had agreed. "I did. I love cooking."

"Good at fighting and a good cook too? That's awesome."

Mako blushed slightly, then said, "you can eat some of it if you want. I always cook more than I can eat."

Ami was walking by, and saw Usagi pigging on the food. "Oh, there you are..."

"Hello, Mizuno."

Ami looked at Mako. "Call me Ami."

"Okay."

"Whaf thf froblef?" Usagi asked.

"Don't speak with your mouth full, Usagi," Ami scolded the blonde. "Anyhow, I noticed Nei staring at Terry.

"Maybe he's fallen for him? I thought only the girls swooned at him, though," Mako joked.

Ami sighed. "Right, we forgot to warn you about him. Nei Furita is one of the Generals, he's been targeting students for a while now."

"Oh," Mako said, then realized what that mean "Oh! Shouldn't we tell Terry?"

"He knows," Ami said, "he's been following Nephrite lately."

"Nephrite?" Weird name.

"They're all called something-ite," Usagi said.

"Usagi, I'll follow Terry. Rei and Naru will be out looking for clues on the crystals."

"I'll go with you," Usagi said, "I won't let one of my friends be hurt by those youma."

"I'll tag along, then," Mako noted, "three against one should make it an easy fight."

"They're never easy," Usagi complained.

"Good," Mako said, "I love challenges."

"You're weird," Usagi said. Ami and Mako looked at her for a second before laughing.

* * *

Rei, Naru and Shade had been walking around the city for a while, but had found nothing. Rei could feel magic near her, and Shade's range was a bit wider, but the city was too big, so they had to trust their luck.

Naru stopped as they walked by an arcade, and looked in. There was a crowd around one of the machines, and people seemed to be cheering for someone. "That's strange."

Shade looked right at the crowd. "I'm sensing something."

Rei nodded. "Me too. Right in the center of the crowd."

Naru flinched. "How are we going to get through them?"

Rei noticed something and dragged Naru away. "I don't think we need to do a thing about the crowd."

Naru noticed Luminite was there. "Terry's being chased by Nephrite, and I'll end up facing Luminite at the same time. Weird."

Luminite stood a few meters away from the crowd and frowned. "Stupid humans," she said mostly to herself, then outloud, she added, "Leave now or feel the wrath of the Dark Kingdom!"

The crowd, however, didn't pay any attention to her. Apparently whatever was in its center was more important than saving their pitiful lives. "So that's how you want it," Luminite said, then shot a light beam which exploded right above the crowd, momentarily blinding everyone. As the crowd turned to look at her, she smiled. "Next time I'll shoot it at you all."

"There's dozens of us and only one of you," someone said from the crowd. A few others agreed with that.

"I know," Luminite mused, "that's quite unfair odds, for you all." As she said that last bit, two large balls of light appeared in her hands. "This is where you losers run."

The crowd complied, but Luminite was surprised to see a girl was still there, still playing with the crane machine she had been using all along, and oblivious to what was going on around her. "Hmm... This one must be the target."

Rei and Naru had already transformed, and they both stood right outside the now almost empty arcade. "Hey you!"

Luminite looked at them. "Go away, kids, I'm busy."

"We won't let you hurt that girl," Nemesis snapped. She then noticed who it was. "Chie?"

Chie looked away from the machine, and then noticed a few things were off. "Hey, where's everyone?"

"I had to scare them off," Luminite said in a fake apology, "I'm not interested in them, only in something you have."

Chie stood in front of the large bag of plushies and assorted crane prizes she had been collecting. "You won't touch my collection!"

Mars and Nemesis realized what Luminite was after at almost the same time. "Chie, run!"

"Wha.." Chie couldn't finish her phrase, as she was hit by a light beam. She fell to the ground, screaming in pain, as a small, cyan crystal came out of her back.

Luminite smiled "Finally, one of..."

"Fire Soul!"

The crystal was knocked off Luminite's hands, and Nemesis made a dive for it, making it vanish as soon as she had it in her hands. "Fooled you. Now stop whatever you're doing to that girl."

Luminite smiled as she looked at the girl lying on the ground, still screaming. "Oh, what a surprise. That's where they had been sleeping all this time."

"What are you babbling about?" Mars snapped.

Chie suddenly stood up, a thin black aura around her, and her eyes lit up with cyan light. She screamed as her whole body became black and changed. After several seconds, the aura vanished, and a tall, mermaid-like youma stood where Chie had been before. "It's good to be back."

"Arieru, one of the seven Nijiyouma. Good to see our Queen's fears were not true."

The mermaid, Arieru, looked at Luminite. "Lady Luminite, where are the others?"

"We thought you were all gone, but now we'll search for the rest of you."

Arieru noticed the two Senshi. "Oh, I knew something was ugly in here."

"Yes, you," Mars said.

"Stupid little Senshi brat. We killed you, we can do it again."

"You can try," Nemesis said, "but we won't go down easily."

Luminite smiled. "Foolish girls. Even weakened, the Nijiyouma are far too strong for you."

"Fire Soul!"

"Nice try!" Arieru said as a jet of water came out of the ground, cancelling Mars' fire blast. "My turn!"

Nemesis coughed and tried to recover her breath. That mermaid thing was strong, she had created quite a large wave of water and dragged them out of the building. "Mars, we should call the others."

Mars nodded, "I agree, this doesn't look so easy."

Luminite smiled as she floated to the two Senshi. "Weaklings like you should be dealt with fast."

Something hit Luminite's left hand as she rose it to attack, and she stared at it. A rose, and its stem had punched through her hand. "Ow! What the hell?"

Tuxedo Kamen stood on top of a parked bus and smiled mockingly at her. "Roses may look weak, but they can be dangerous. Return that girl to her true form and leave, youma."

Luminite pulled the rose out of her hand and snarled at him before leaping on the bus. "I'm going to enjoy ripping you apart!"

Tuxedo Kamen leapt back, barely dodging Luminite's newly formed light sword. "I see you're not left handed," he noted before stopping a second swipe with his cane.

The Senshi, meanwhile, were left to face the mermaid. "She's strong, but there's also another problem," Mars commented, "we don't know if we can attack her without hurting Chie."

The mermaid laughed. "You just realized that? I'm still using her body, so if you kill me, you can say goodbye to this weak useless human."

"Damn it..."

"Don't be fooled by her, your attacks won't hurt the host that much."

Mars looked past the mermaid, and saw someone there. A girl in a full body suit, her face concealed by a mask. Two other girls in similar suits stood near her. "I assume you're the Hunters?"

Mira nodded. "That's us. Wisp!"

Arieru took the hit without flinching. "Oh, this is priceless. Your kin was never able to fight common youma, weaklings. There's no way you can win against one of the Seven."

"Blah blah blah," Circe said boredly. "Flare!" This time, the attack was a rather massive fire ball. It caused the mermaid to stagger back, and Circe smiled. "You like your fish rare or extra crispy?"

"How? How is this possible?"

Calisto shrugged. "We were told about your kind. The strongest youma out there, not counting the Generals. But just like your masters, you've been out of action for centuries. You're just rusty, fishgirl."

"Damn you, I'm going to destroy you!"

"Friendly advice," Circe noted, "never give your back to someone who can fry you on the spot."

Arieru's eyes widened as she realized what that meant, but she didn't have time to move away, or even turn around.

"Fire Soul!"

"Dark Core!"

The two attacks hit the mermaid, fire and darkness washing over her, and she screamed in pain before falling to the ground, her body reverting back to that of Chie.

Nemesis paled. "Shit, did we kill her?"

Circe checked on the fallen girl. "No, she's okay, just out cold." She noticed the small, cyan energy orb floating a meter away from the girl. "What is..."

"Arieru, return to me!" Luminite shouted. She had managed to knock the cape freak off the bus right before she heard the mermaid's scream. Fortunately the souls of the Nijiyouma were strong, even if the host's body was destroyed, they could be used again later. "Damn it, I'm not in the mood for this right now," she snapped before vanishing.

"What a coward," Mars muttered, then turned to the new trio. "Are you girls still following us around?"

"No, we were inside that place when the youma showed up," Circe said.

"We don't know who you are outside those forms. We were forbidden from finding that out until you decided to show it yourselves," Calisto explained.

Nemesis looked at her. "Your accent's odd. You're not from Japan, are you?"

"You got me."

Shade had been silent since the battle's start, and she had been keeping an eye on Chie. "She's waking up."

Chie sat up and grimaced. "I feel like someone run over me."

Mars wasn't one to sugar-coat things. "You were possessed by a strong youma, but we dealt with it already."

Chie looked inside the store and smiled. "At least my collection's safe."

"How the heck did you manage to get that?" Nemesis asked.

"No idea. Been having a lot of luck lately," Chie noted.

Mars looked around. "Those three..."

"They promised not to stalk us," Nemesis noted, "but they didn't promise to stay around and chat after the fight's done with."

"Good point."

Chie lifted the large bag and smiled. "Since those monsters keep on showing up, I guess I'll see you girls again. Bye."

Mars watched Chie go. "A lot of luck, huh? Wonder if luck's a Senshi power too?"

Nemesis shook her head at that. "Must be the youma she had inside. In any case," she reached out her hand, the small crystal shard appearing in it, "we got one on our first try."

"Let's tell the others."

* * *

Terry was quite aware of the man following him. And he knew three girls (and a cat) would be following him, and the man, as well. But 'Nei' was in for a surprise, he wasn't about to go down easily.

Nephrite was surprised when the teen turned around. "Hmph. I need to work on my stealth."

"You sure do," Terry mused. Of course, if he showed off with his swords, the General could make the connection, so he had prepared something else. "Whatever you want from me, you won't be getting it," he noted as he held a gun. He wasn't any good with guns, but Nephrite was helping him by walking closer to him. "Stay where you are."

Nephrite laughed. "Pitiful. Your weapons can't do..." The gun was fired several times, and he looked down in fake shock. "What?"

Terry didn't buy the act for one second. "Did that hurt?"

Nephrite laughed again. "Not one bit. Now if you're ready to..."

"Shabon Spray!"

"Not this again," Nephrite snapped as the mist kicked in. He could see where the Senshi were. Three of them this time. "I told you this wouldn't work, Mercury!" However, as soon as he had said that, a black airboard hit him and knocked him down to the ground. "What the Darkness..."

"You keep on forgetting about me, loser."

Nephrite recognized that voice. "Zero? Shouldn't you be chasing after Luminite?"

"Someone else should be taking care of her right now."

Nephrite stopped, as if to listen to something, then realized his target was gone. "I see no point in staying here. I'll take care of you later."

Moon walked to where Nephrite had been as the mist vanished. "Why did he run away?"

"No idea," Zero admitted, "but thanks for the help."

Mercury smiled. "I know the mist won't stop him from hitting us, but he can't sense you. I figured you would take care of him."

"Good guess." Zero noticed Moon summoning her comm. "Heh, I need one of those."

"Hi, Mars. Found the crystals yet?"

"As a matter of fact, Luminite found it for us, but we managed to take it from her. That girl Wanako had it inside her, and she turned into a youma when the crystal was taken from her," Mars said from the comm.

"Is she okay?" Zero asked.

"Yeah, hitting the youma hard enough caused it to get out of her, and she didn't look hurt afterwards. But Luminite took the youma's spirit before we could destroy it for good."

Mercury smiled. "You got one of those crystals? Let's meet, I want to scan it as soon as possible."

"Me too," Zero added.

"Okay, go to the shrine, we'll meet you there," Mars said.

Moon put the comm away and sighed. "Aw, I wanted to go to Crown today."

"Usagi..." Luna muttered and shook her head in disapproval.

Zero frowned at her. "Not to sound like Luna's echo, but you need to take this seriously, _Rabbit_."

"I'll take it seriously, but I don't have to like it."

Zero thought about it for a second, then smiled. "Fair enough."

* * *

**A/N:** Guess you could call Chie "Crane Jane." And nope, making her youma form a mermaid was no mistake. Read on mermaid mythos if you don't know the connection.


	15. Use your illusion

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 15: Use your illusion.**

**_By Razor Knight_**

**Last update: December 14, 2011**

* * *

"This is the crystal? It's so small..."

"Usagi, remember the crystal's been broken into several pieces," Luna noted.

Terry was looking at the crystal being held by Naru, and frowned. "Okay, if all shards have the same kind of energy, I can trace it down. But there's something off here. Can you transform?"

"Why?"

"Just a theory I have," Terry said.

"Okay. Nemesis Planet Power!" As the transformation ended, Nemesis looked at him, then the crystal. "So?"

Terry nodded "Your readings are much higher than last time I checked them. Give the crystal to someone else."

Nemesis passed the crystal to Usagi, then frowned. "What's all this about?" She blinked in surprise. "No, wait, I can feel it."

Ami had been using her computer to scan the crystals, but she looked up. "I know what Terry saw. The crystals apparently give a boost to the person holding it."

Terry looked at Usagi then at his watch. "It's noticeable even in normal form," he commented, then saw the crystal vanish. "Hey, what..."

Usagi smiled. "The numbers didn't change, did they?"

Terry was surprised by her guess. "No, they didn't."

Rei chuckled. "So that means, if we get one of those, whoever gets it will be much stronger, and it works even if we put the crystal away."

Terry nodded. "Problem is, the same could happen with the Generals. Let's hope they don't keep the crystals for themselves if they ever manage to get one."

Mako shook her head. "We'll just beat them down until they give them back."

"Sounds like a plan."

"Seven," Ami said.

"Huh?"

"I've made a three-dimensional model of what the crystal looks like in my computer, based on the shape and size of this shard. If the shards are even, then there's seven of them."

"Six to go," Terry said.

"About those 'Nijiyouma' creeps, how many were there?"

"If I had to make a guess, I'd say seven," Terry mused.

"And you're right," Luna said.

"The Nijiyouma, the strongest youma ever created by Beryl before she found her Generals," Shade noted.

"They sound strong," Terry admitted, "but _Rainbow_ youma?"

"The name comes from them being seven, and each of them takes after one color of the rainbow," Shade explained.

"And as we gather all the crystals, we'll awaken them," Mako guessed.

"That's right, too," Luna said, "I guess that was the work of the Queen. Locking up the strongest youma in the shards of the Ginzuishou."

"So that the youma couldn't find them," Rei noted, "it doesn't seem to be working as intended."

Luna walked up to Rei. "If those youma were at full power, or even half power, you and Naru wouldn't be standing here right now, Rei."

"So being inside the crystal weakened them?"

"That seems to be the case, and I can bet the Queen knew about that."

* * *

"Why did you call me back?"

Beryl smiled. "Because Luminite's made a wonderful discovery." As she said that, Luminite walked in, followed by a mermaid-like youma. "Do you recognize her?"

Nephrite was quite surprised to see this creature alive. "Arieru?"

"Apparently, the old Moon Queen planned things in advance," Luminite explained, "the Ginzuishou is split in shards, and I can bet that one of the Nijiyouma will be in each of those shards."

"So, you got one of those shards?"

"No, the Senshi managed to take it from me," Luminite said with a scowl.

Beryl nodded, "As long as we gather at least one shard, they won't be able to restore the Ginzuishou, and their Princess will be powerless to stop us."

"I'll get the next one for sure."

"You will, because Nephrite will be joining forces with you."

Luminite looked at Nephrite and then bowed to the Queen. "As you wish, we will start planning our next move immediately."

Beryl saw the two vanish, and scanned the crowd of youma gathering around her throne, in the shadows. "Kunzite, Aurite, come forth!"

The two Generals appeared and bowed to her. "What is the problem, my Queen?" Kunzite asked.

"The problem is, that you should have already taken care of Sailor V and Sailor Saturn."

Kunzite nodded. "V is not the Princess, I know that much... But she's a strong Senshi. I'm trying to come up with a plan to defeat her for good."

"I could help you with that," Zoicite noted.

Kunzite smiled. "Of course, any help would be appreciated, and if it's yours, even more."

"What about you, Aurite?"

"If I could keep Pluto busy, I'm sure I would defeat the other two easily. Pluto keeps on showing up and stopping me when I'm about to kill them." Truth was, Saturn and her friend Orion had come close to killing her a couple times, too, but she wasn't going to bore Beryl with such useless details.

"I see. Jadeite can help you with that."

"Pluto is too strong for a single General to handle."

Beryl thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "If it must come to that, I will go personally and take care of Pluto."

"But Queen Beryl, the risk..."

"Don't forget who I am. I won't underestimate Pluto's power, but I may be the only one strong enough to take on a Senshi of her level and have a small chance of winning. And with you and Jadeite fighting Pluto's pets together, things should go smoothly."

* * *

It had looked pretty simple at first to her. Okay, not quite simple, but much simple than things were now. A part of her wanted that Princess girl to show up already, so they could defeat the youma and go back to living normal lives.

"Everything okay, Usagi?"

She looked down at the cat. Luna could be harsh at times, but the Mooncat honestly worried about her. "I'm okay, just thinking about how complicated this war is."

"Can't say you're wrong about that," Luna admitted.

"Can we really win, Luna?"

"If we find the Princess, then..."

"Who is she?"

Luna shook her head. "I don't remember. I know it would make our fight easier, but I..."

Usagi nodded. "She's only going to show up if we gather the parts of that crystal, I understood as much."

"I haven't told the others this, Usagi... But it's a bit more complicated than that. The Princess would be the only one who could fix the crystal."

"Why tell me this, Ami's the smart one."

"Because... Well, I find this hard to believe, myself, but I remembered something else from the past after we got that first shard. Sailor Moon was the strongest Senshi even in the past. You were..."

"I _was _the strongest," Usagi said, then stopped walking. "I'm quite useless now."

"You lack experience. Sailor Moon also, if I remember correctly, had others to teach her how to be as good as she was."

"Awesome, maybe one of them was revived?"

"Unfortunately... Only a Senshi of your same planet can teach you how to use your magic to its fullest."

"Well, life just isn't fair, right Luna?" Usagi said, then noticed the Mooncat was in 'cat mode.' As she looked down the street, she saw... "Oh, not you again!"

Mamoru looked at her dismissively. "Oh, it's you, odango."

"I told you to not call me that!"

"You know, you look better when you're angry than when you're sad."

Usagi stood there, confused, as the man walked down the street. "What the heck was that..."

Luna frowned. There was something strange about that man. She felt like she had seen him elsewhere before. "Don't mind him, Usagi, let's..."

A shout from a nearby building interrupted Luna. "That sounded close to Naru's house."

_"Again?" _Luna mused.

"I know. Let's go."

* * *

Naru just couldn't help but hate her luck. She had been talking to Umino minutes earlier, but Luminite and Nephrite appeared inside the jewelry and things got hectic pretty fast. She had seen Umino fall down, and a shard coming out of him, so she knew what was going to happen next. She run out of the store, and luckily the two Generals thought she was running away and ignored her.

The bad thing was, Luminite had taken the shard while she transformed, but she would get it back once she beat the two Generals. Or at least try to. She had only managed to drag them out of the store, but that hadn't helped her much.

"Come on, Nemesis, I know you're there."

Nemesis scowled. Umino was still turning into whatever he would turn, but she couldn't handle two Generals at the same time by herself. She noticed something out of the corner of her eye, however, and smiled. "I think you should be worrying about other things, Nephrite."

"Firefly!" Nephrite staggered back as a barrage of small fireballs hit him. "What in darkness..."

"Spark!"

A lightning bolt hit Luminite, sending her down to the ground. "More Senshi?"

"I thought you would remember us from last time, but that would require intelligence."

Luminite growled. "Oh, those three runts."

"Dark Core!"

Luminite was sent flying into a car and sank down. Nephrite sighed. "Are you really going to fight me, Nadia?"

"Don't call me that. Nadia is dead, you killed her."

"You never understood the greatness of our-"

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Nemesis saw Nephrite fall and winced. "Moon?"

"I had to attack while he hadn't seen me. Are you..."

Nemesis saw someone walking to them and paled. "Umino?"

Moon looked at their new foe. An orange-skinned man, who seemed to have no legs and instead had orange smoke trailing after him. "What is that?"

"A Djinni," Mira noted, "Mythical creatures known for granting wishes to people."

"Dejin, show them what you can do!" Luminite said as she staggered up.

"By opposing the youma," the 'djinni' said, "you wish for death... And that wish shall be granted!"

As the creature said that, ghastly figures appeared around the two Senshi, they looked just like Mars, Mercury and Jupiter. "Wait, what is..."

"Fire Soul!"

"Shabon Spray!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

Moon tried to stand up, but fell on her knees. The three attacks had focused on her, and they were nothing like the few times a youma had hit her. Her friend were this strong? How could she compare?

No, she could not give up. Umino and Naru had been her friends since they were in kinder, and she knew Naru could not defeat these enemies alone. She felt something inside of her and smiled. No, she would not give up yet.

"Dark Core!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

The attacks cancelled each other, and Nemesis knew things had turned even worse. She didn't know if Usagi could fight after getting hit like that, but there was on way Nemesis would be able to take on these illusionary Senshi, even with the three...

"This... Those are not my friends. They may have their face and their attacks, but they're fake. How dare you forcing me to fight them!"

Nemesis took a step back. Moon had stood up and was glaring at the two Generals. "Moon?"

"Moon Tiara... Flight!"

The tiara shot as usual, hitting through Mars' clone and causing it to vanish, but instead of returning to Moon's hand, it corrected its course, hitting through Mercury and Jupiter's clones before they could react. It then kept going, punching Dejin into a wall, and then knocking both Generals back.

"That blonde kid is really asking for it now," Luminite snapped as she stood up. She noticed Dejin's form was fading, and sighed. "Return to me, Dejin!"

"Firefly!"

"Wisp!"

"Gust!"

The three blasts knocked Luminite back, and this time she couldn't stand up.

Nephrite growled at the three Hunters, seeing that Moon was now kneeling on the ground, and Nemesis was not attacking him. "You should have left while you had a chance, brats."

"Same could be said about you. Supreme Thunder!"

"Shabon Spray!"

"Fire Soul!"

Nemesis looked back as Nephrite was sent crashing into a building. "Guys..."

Zero looked at Moon. "What happened to her?"

Luna, who had watched everything from atop a truck's roof, decided to explain. "She was forced to use an upgraded version of her attack. It was strong enough to take down several foes, but her body's not used to it yet."

Moon smiled weakly. "I'll be okay, guys."

Zero was checking his watch. "What the heck... Her power's grown by fifty percent?"

Luna looked at Moon, then smiled. "Sailor Moon was the strongest Senshi in the past, so I'm not surprised."

Mars noticed Nephrite and Luminite (and the three Hunters) had left, and Umino was standing up. "So basically, you took on two Generals and one of those strong youma on your own, and won?"

Nemesis sighed. "The youma Umino turned into summoned replicas of Mars, Jupiter and Mercury. Those three attacked Moon before she upgraded."

Mars looked at Moon. "That's impressive."

Zero nodded. "You know, at first I didn't think highly of you, but you've got courage, girl."

"Courage? Me?" Moon asked.

"Courage's not about not being afraid, but about fighting your fear and defeating it."

"That sounds... Wise," Mars said, looking at Zero.

"Yeah, Hakko told me that once. I now know what he meant."

Umino finally stood up, and looked around. "Where's Naru?"

"She's safe, don't worry," Nemesis said, "we told her to stay out of the area until the fight ended."

"Oh... Tell her I'll see her tomorrow at school. I feel quite tired right now."

Nemesis watched him go and smiled. "I'll tell her that, yeah."

"Is that guy your boyfriend?" Zero asked.

"The three of us have been friends since we were small kids," Moon explained, knowing well what Nemesis would say. "They do look cute together, though..."

"Let's just get out of here," Nemesis muttered and walked away.

Zero nodded. "I have something to do, so I'll see you at school."

Mars watched Zero go. "What's he up to?"

"No idea," Usagi admitted, "hope he's not chasing after the youma on his own..."

"It can't be that, the youma left," Mercury noted pointing at her visor. "Though I detect a few relatively strong magic beings in the direction he's heading..."

Nemesis stopped as she heard that. "The Demon Hunters?" But why was Zero chasing them?

* * *

"What the heck did Moon do back there?"

Calisto looked at Circe. "She powered up. I had heard some legends about how Senshi could do that if they felt threatened, instead of through training. I guess they weren't just legends."

"It's a good thing we're on their side, then."

Calisto nodded. "Right now, Moon could take on the strongest spell I know, and still be able to fight back."

They were now far from where the youma had attacked, so their disguises vanished. "At least we know we can help them fight those Generals."

"If you let yourselves be caught this easily, you won't be a lot of help."

Mira looked up and gasped. Zero? "What the heck..."

"Let's say we're even now," Zero noted, "I have no ulterior motives, really, I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the ninja."

Terry looked at the red-haired girl, who he knew was Calisto. "I'm no ninja, really. I would have never expected you to be one of the mages, though. Maria Diaz, from South America, transfered to Juuban High a week before I did."

"How the heck..."

"I know all three of you, you're studying in my school."

"Emi, what do we do..."

"Aki, I don't think this guy's lying. We would probably tell the Senshi who we were, anyhow..."

"Never said I was going to tell my friends," Zero noted.

"Why not?"

"They would gain nothing from that knowledge."

"And what do _you _gain from it?"

"I'm not as trusty as the Senshi, and I really am not going to trust incomplete memories from two _talking cats _and lower my guard to people I still don't know well enough."

"Hmph, as expected from you," Circe, or rather Aki, said. "We're not going to hurt your friends, don't worry."

Zero laughed at that. "Of course you won't. You already saw what happens when you mess with a Senshi today. But I'm not so sure about your bosses' true intentions yet."

As Zero left, the three girls looked at each other. "Well, that went nicely."

"Could have been one of the Generals following us," Emi noted.

"You're right. We really need to be more careful."

* * *

He had been late to help the Senshi, again, but he had been right in time to see Sailor Moon's display of power. It was good they could take care of themselves, because he was, right now, interested in something else. The crystal shards, fragments of the Ginzuishou.

The same dream had been haunting him for a while. He could always see the figure of a woman, in the distance, but darkness didn't let him see her face. _"You must help the Senshi. Find the Ginzuishou."_

He had heard himself asking the same question once and again. Why should he help them?

_"Because if you do, you will find what you've been looking for."_

He knew what that woman meant. He had lost his memory at a very young age, the day his parents died... The day he woke up in a hospital bed, not knowing even his own name. He couldn't even remember his own sister.

"Mamoru? What are you doing still up?"

"I don't feel like going to sleep yet, Karin."

"Just don't stay too late, brother."

"Right." Mamoru looked at the full moon, high up in the sky. The Moon, the place he always was at in his dream. He needed to find answers. Why did he have his powers? His powers weren't enough to fight the youma on his own. He was a protector, not a warrior.

But if finding the Ginzuishou could help him remember the past, he would help the Senshi to the best of his abilities. He had always wanted to see it with his own eyes. He wanted to remember his parents, not just from pictures, but from his own memories.

He knew these youma were planning something, something big, but he would let the Senshi figure that out. His mission was to help them recover that crystal, once that was done... Well, he would think about what to do after that, when the time came.

* * *

**A/N: **This chapter shows Umino is indeed a genius. Or at least a genie.

I'll be writing more of books one and two of this fic whenever I can, but I won't promise a swift update schedule for the time being.


	16. Bark to school

**Sailor**** Moon Aeons**

**Book 2: Rebirth  
**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom**

**Episode 16: Bark to school**

_By Razor Knight_

Last update: November 14, 2012

* * *

Terry walked into the classroom, and saw there was only one other person in there, and it was someone he hadn't noticed before.

"Uh... Hi."

The girl looked at him from her seat. "Hello."

She either didn't know who he was, or didn't care. He wasn't about to complain, though. "I haven't seen you before, are you new?"

"Yeah."

"I knew it, I never forget a pretty face."

The girl stared at him for a second. "I was told you were gloomy and unfriendly."

"I'm slowly getting over the first part of that rumor, and the second is partially true. I'm not friendly to anyone who stalks me around the city."

"I suppose I wouldn't be friendly, either, in that case. Name's Yukiko Hokuge, by the way."

"Nice to meet you... I suppose you already know who I am."

"Terry Zephyr," Yukiko said. "I'm more interested in other celebrities in this area, actually."

"Other celebrities?" Terry smiled at that, then nodded. "I know what you're talking about. The Senshi."

"You know them?"

"Not personally," Terry lied, "but they've saved my rear before."

"Nobody seems to know who they are. It's strange, since they wear no masks..."

"I know the cause of that. They're using some sort of magic trick, it makes you not able to remember what their face looks like, even if you try hard. It also distorts their faces in any film or picture taken." He had tested all that while fighting alongside the Senshi, of course, but he wasn't about to tell Yukiko that much.

"Is it true that they're using magic?"

"It's either magic, or some unknown technologic gadgets. The one who saved me summoned some sort of mist which lowered the area's temperature a few degrees, and didn't let me see past my nose."

"Sailor Mercury."

Terry almost flinched at that. This girl had really done her homework. "Yeah, I guess that's her name."

"Hey Terry, who's that?"

Terry turned at Naru, and was about to answer, but Umino, who had entered the classroom right after her, beat him to it.

"She's Yukiko Hokuge, came from Hokkaido a couple days ago and signed up for this school. She's a big fan of the Senshi, from what I've gathered."

Yukiko stared at Umino for a few seconds before shaking her head. "So the rumors are true about you."

"No, I don't know that much about the Senshi," Umino said, guessing what she was about to ask. "They're very good at hiding and vanishing after their fights."

"Gee, they're quite hard to meet, then."

"Not really," Naru said, "just walk around the city, wait for a youma to attack you, and you'll meet them... Unless the youma knocks you unconscious before they arrive."

"Sounds like a plan?" Yukiko joked.

* * *

"That new girl in our classroom is weird," Usagi said.

"She's not weird, she just has a... Particular fixation on the Senshi."

"Huh, what new girl?" Ami asked.

"Yukiko Hokuge, another transfer student. Kinda cute, but she seems to only care about Senshi."

Ami blinked at that. "As long as she's not another general in disguise..."

"I don't think so, they're either old creeps or old ladies," Usagi noted.

"I don't think those women look that old... Thirty, at most," Terry said.

"See, old ladies!" Usagi said.

The three were talking right outside the school, but fell silent as Yukiko walked by.

She turned and looked at them. "Oh, hi Zephyr."

"Hi, Hokuge."

Yukiko kept walking, but then turned to them. "Tell me, about the other part of those rumors..."

Terry sighed. "Depends on what you heard."

"Your girlfriend died and you came to Japan to look for her murderer."

"I came to Japan because there were too many painful memories back home."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"Don't trust rumors, most of the time they only tell you part of the truth, or just lies."

Yukiko nodded. "Guess that's right. Hey, I know Tsukino, but..."

"I'm Ami Mizuno," Ami said with a bow. "Nice to meet you."

Yukiko's eyes widened. "Oh, you are the genius girl?" She looked at her, then Terry, and smiled. "You guys look cute together."

"What, we're not..." Terry started, but saw Yukiko was walking away. She turned and saw Ami was blushing a deep shade of red. "Ami?"

"I'm... Okay," Ami said.

"I agree with her."

"Cut it off," Terry muttered.

Usagi flinched at the way he was staring at her. "Sorry, just a joke."

"Nevermind, let's just..." There was a shout coming from inside the school. "The youma are attacking here?"

"We need to find a place to change," Ami said.

There were some flashes of light inside the building, and the three watched as one of the hunters was thrown out of the building, landing near them. "_Fuck, that hurts._"

Terry frowned. That was Spanish, Calisto was being too careless... But there was no time to think about that now. "Let's go!"

Calisto saw the three run away. "That was Zephyr... So those two may be Senshi."

Just then, Nephrite appeared near her. "I'm not done with you yet."

"Dark Core!"

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Guess you are," Calisto said as Nephrite was knocked back by both attacks.

"Who is he after this time?"

"They attacked a girl inside the school, and knocked out anyone who was still in there."

"Let's go, then, the others shouldn't be far from here," Nemesis noted.

"I guessed as much," Calisto said, mostly to herself.

Jupiter stared at the building in shock. "Are those... Vines?"

"I suppose whoever was attacked was another carrier," Nemesis said.

* * *

Circe and Mira were in quite a rough spot. The target had turned into a strange creature while they tried to beat Luminite. Her skin was a sickly, pale green, her hair was dark green and vine-like, and bark served as clothing.

"Bolt!"

Luminite dodged to the side. "You kids are annoying."

"Thanks, we try, Mira said. "But I think you should see what's behind you."

"I won't fall for that -"

"Moon Tiara Action!"

Luminite barely had time to dodge the disc. "Damn it, the Senshi are here already. Aruboru, get them!"

"What, and who, is she?" Zero said looking at the creature.

"I suppose that's a Spriggan," Mercury noted.

Moon gave Mercury a blank stare. "Spriwhat?"

"They are ancient nature spirits," Mercury explained. "Maybe the Spriggans are based in this monster, after all."

"Fireball!"

"Spark!"

"Wisp!"

Moon flinched as she saw Luminite being knocked through the wall. "Guess we should take care of the tree lady."

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Dark Core!"

The two attacks hit Aruboru, but only made her stagger back. "Okay, she's strong."

"She's absorbing energy from plants and trees in the area," Mercury explained, "the longer we wait, the stronger she'll be."

"I got this. Moon Tiara Flight!"

The tiara hit the creature and bounced away, looping around and hitting it a second time, then a third. By the fourth hit, the creature was down on her knees, but so was Moon.

"Damn, it's still not enough."

"Moon Tiara F-" Moon started to stand up, but instead fell on her back. "Sorry, I'm out of power."

Aruboru let out a screech, and several vines shot up from the ground. Mercury, Moon, Jupiter and the three Hunters were caught by them, while Zero and Nemesis managed to avoid them.

"Dark Core!"

The creature chuckled as the attack hit one of the vines harmlessly. "Weakling. One of you won't be enough to defeat me!"

"Then what about two? Fire Soul!"

Zero gasped as Mars' attack hit the vines. "Of course, fire should be quite strong against her."

Mars smiled. "Then let me take care of this one. Fire Soul!"

Aruboru screamed in pain as the second jet of fire hit her. "That hurts, but it's still not enough!" She sent more vines forth, and they caught the three who were still free.

Mars flinched as the vine wrapped around her squeezed her. The others were trying to break free, but not even Jupiter was strong enough to do it. If she could hit that tree girl again, then maybe she could... No, her attacks weren't strong enough. She closed her eyes and focused. Yes, she could feel it, that's what she needed to do!

Nephrite had managed to crawl into the building, and saw Luminite trying to stand up. "Aruboru's got them."

"No, she didn't!" Mars said. "Mars Fire Soul Bird!" The fire this time shot from her hands, but run through her whole body, turning the vines holding her into ashes. As Mars looked up, the fire stood there, slowly changing its shape to resemble a bird.

And the bird shot forth, hitting all of the vines without harming any of Mars' allies, and finally wrapping Aruboru in flames. The Spriggan fell to her knees, screeching in pain, until she fainted. The flames around her vanished as her form returned to that of a normal human.

"Damn it. Aruboru, return to me!"

Mars turned to attack Luminite, but saw the Generals had already vanished. "Cowards."

Zero walked to her. "That was quite a cool attack, pun intended."

The Fire Senshi fell to her knees. "And tiring." She looked around "so, the Generals got that crystal."

"We'll just have to punch them around until they give it back," Jupiter said with a shrug.

"Ugh... My head..."

The group turned to see the target standing up. It was none other than Karin Chiba. "Are you okay?" Moon asked her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She looked around and flinched. Charred tree branches hung from the walls, and she could see said walls were quite wrecked. "Crap, did I do that?"

"You were possessed by a youma... It was quite a strong one," Mercury explained. "But it's over."

"You guys gonna be done fighting these things soon?"

"We're doing all we can to stop them," Mercury said.

All they could. Moon shook her head at that, but said nothing. "Guys, we need to leave."

"Yeah, they may make us pay for this mess," Mars joked.

"I could, but I won't," Zero said, also joking.

Karin watched them leave and sighed. They were a weird bunch of heroes, but they had saved her, so she wouldn't complain.

* * *

"Are we, really...?"

The group was back to their normal forms, and walking away from school. Usagi's question caused the others to stop and look at her. "What do you mean?"

"What Ami told Karin back there. 'We're doing all we can.' We only won the last two times because me and Rei got an upgrade out of nowhere. And even my new attack did little against this youma."

Rei sighed. "Well, we _are _doing all we can. We'll have to trust our own power."

"Or you could train," Terry said.

"Train?" Mako frowned. "I don't know if that will help us."

"You all could use some practice, specially those who are, honestly, useless in melee combat. Throwing energy blasts around won't always solve all our problems."

"And who's going to train us, you?" Mako said.

Rei shook her head. "He could actually..."

"Or I could check if Hakko is available."

"But we can't go to a normal gym to train our powers. And I wouldn't like to wreck Terry's house," Ami noted.

"I'll see what I can do, but it may take a while."

Usagi sighed. "I don't like fighting, and I would rather just stay home and do nothing, but... I don't like to see my friends get hurt."

"I still don't see how this guy could help us train," Mako muttered.

"Want me to show you?" Terry said.

"I would love to, but Usagi will be mad at me if I hurt you."

Terry smiled slyly. "How can you hurt what you can't touch?"

Usagi saw the two were quite ready to start punching each other. "Guys, wait!"

Rei shook her head. "They're not going to fight, at least not in the way we fight those Generals."

Ami smiled. "It's a kind of training, too."

Naru just watched the two get ready. She actually knew these two would not hurt each other on purpose, but still...

Mako rushed in without warning, going for a jab. Terry caught her arm and tossed her over his shoulder. "Come on, Mako, stop fooling around."

"Okay, you're good," Mako muttered as she stood up. She charged again, apparently going for the same move again, but Terry noticed her other arm in time to avoid the feint. "Not done yet," Mako snapped. She had tried an uppercut, but as Terry dodged, she used her other arm to deliver a rather strong elbow to the chest.

Terry stood up and smiled. "Now that's better. Who taught you to fight like that?"

"I taught myself," Mako said before rushing in again. She tried to kick his side, but Terry blocked it, grabbing her leg and knocking her down to the ground. She rolled to the side to avoid a stomp, then came up with an uppercut... Connecting at the same time as Terry's punch hit her face.

"Okay, enough of that," Usagi said as the two fighters fell to the ground again. She walked between the two and stared at them in turns, her face unreadable.

"I agree," Terry said. "I've seen enough. You're quite good, Mako, but your style is wild."

Mako stood up. "And you're not bad, yourself. Didn't think you would fight me without holding back."

Terry frowned at that. "Huh? Why?"

"Because every guy I've fought underestimated me. They were always sorry they did, though."

"A warrior is a warrior, gender is just a footnote."

Rei smiled. "That sounds like Hakko."

"Yeah, he told me that. I soon learnt what he meant when I started training with Hana."

Usagi saw Terry's face change for a split second, but he was back to normal after that. "Terry..."

"Don't worry, I'm okay," Terry said. "In any case, I think you could all use the training."

Usagi winced at the thought. "You would beat me up in no time."

Terry looked at her straight in the eyes. "So what? I still remember the first time I trained with Hakko. He used me as a punching bag for a month or so. But training got me where I am today."

"So, you were used by Hakko as a punching bag, just so you could be used by youma and Mako as a punching bag?" Rei joked.

Terry stared at her for a minute then laughed. "I guess so. I would challenge you to a fight, but I've already had one pretty girl beating me up today."

Rei blushed slightly and looked to the side. "Don't tempt me, I'll just call my new pet bird."

The guy flinched. "Uh, I'll pass."

Mako saw some army trucks speed by and frowned. "Guys, I'll see you later."

"What was that about?"

"Who knows," Rei said.

* * *

Saiko Rakurai walked out of the school building and gave a long, theatrical sigh. "The Senshi really wrecked this place."

"Those youma did a lot of damage too."

Saiko turned to the man and nodded. It wasn't often that Kino decided to leave his office, but she knew he had a good reason to be here. "She's not here."

"Then, she may have left before the attack started."

"Want me to check the..."

"I'm still alive, Saiko."

The two turned to see Mako standing there. "Good, we were worried."

"I guessed as much, that's why I came back."

"Seems like this one youma gave them a lot of trouble."

"I was still around when it started," Mako said, "and there was a nice view of the fight after they blew a hole into the front wall."

"Everyone was apparently too busy running away to see what happened," Saiko commented.

"Yeah, I noticed that too. Anyhow, there was some plant girl fighting the Senshi, and I saw Sailor Mars using some sort of huge fire bird to beat that youma. It was awesome."

"That would explain why everything in that particular classroom is burnt to ashes," Kino admitted.

"I wonder what their suits are made of, though. None of them seemed to be affected by the flames."

"We'll ask them next time we see them," Saiko said. "Anyhow, you should go home, this place's going to need some repairs..."

"Does that mean school's out for a while?"

"Possibly," Kino said.

"I know at least one of my friends will be glad to hear that."

* * *

"... And the youma left, and took that crystal with them."

Aries heard the report and frowned. "That crystal shard was, if legends are to be trusted, a fragment of the Ginzuishou."

"The what?"

"Ginzuishou. A legendary crystal used by the Moon Senshi, it boosts the user's power exponentially, and was rumored to have many abilities. Legends say the last Moon Senshi destroyed it, but fragments of it could still be around."

"What if the youma get more of those pieces?"

"They could use them as sources of energy," Aries guessed, "or maybe the crystal wasn't quite 'destroyed' as much as split into pieces. If that's the case, a Moon Senshi should be able to restore the crystal."

"So if the Senshi gather all those pieces, they could win this war?"

"The Moon Senshi in their team is weak and lacking experience. Even with that crystal, it may be hard for her to defeat the youma. But it will still help turning the tide."

"Okay, I get it. Next time we see those crystals, we'll try getting them."

"Unless the Senshi are around. We don't want them to think you're trying to keep those crystals for yourself."

"Agreed. The two Senshi who upgraded lately could kick our rears, so I don't want to get on their bad side."

"You're doing a good job, all circumstances considered, Mira. Keep it up."

"Thanks, mother."

* * *

**A/N: **For those who read Cyber Moon: Yes, Yukiko is already around. When I re-read Cyber Moon after "finishing" it, I realized she didn't show up as much as I would have wanted her to. You can see how I intend to fix that.

I could add Calisto's Spanish in actual Spanish (my native language,) but that would look odd compared to how I deal with other "foreign" languages being spoken in my fics


	17. Shock trooper

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom**

**Episode 17: Shock trooper**

_By Razor Knight_

Last update: January 24, 2013

* * *

The Senshi, not counting Rei, were meeting in Terry's house once again. Their school was being repaired, so they would have a few days off, but they knew youma would most likely attack again soon.

"I'm bored."

"So, you miss school?"

"Surprisingly, yes." Usagi looked at Ami, who was giving her a smile that was a sound effect away from a chuckle. "I think you're a bad influence for me."

"Hey, Terry, you followed those Demon Hunter girls a few days ago, didn't you?"

Terry nodded at Naru. "Yeah."

"So, you know who they are."

"I do."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Usagi asked.

"You will gain nothing from knowing, and they've actively avoided learning your true identities."

"Karin was attacked in your classroom, and the three of them got there before we did," Ami noted, "that could mean they're from our school, and possibly from your class."

"A good guess," Terry admitted.

"So, who are they?"

"I gain nothing from keeping the secret, either," Terry noted with a smile. "They're Makai and Hiyama from our group, and Diaz from Ami's group."

"Strange coincidence."

"We should-"

Terry interrupted Usagi. "They don't know who you girls are yet. Don't blindly trust those Hunters, Usagi."

"He's right," Rei said, "they've helped us, but we still don't know what their goal is."

"Our goal is the same as yours, to defeat any evil threatening this world."

Terry turned to see Calisto, or rather Diaz, standing right outside the room. "What the... How did you get in here?"

"Since you're always telling us about our tactical flaws, I'll return the favor. Technological alarm systems can be easily fooled by using the right spell."

"Wait, I thought you said they didn't know?" Usagi said, looking at Terry.

"We didn't know, but you are easy to identify, if one knows where to look. For example, we knew who Zero is, and he's usually seen with you girls... Also, those Mooncats can hide their 'marks' from normal humans and weak magical creatures, but we're not normal humans, nor weak magicians. It was quite easy to figure out who Moon and Nemesis were, even when we weren't actively looking for clues."

"So, what now?" Rei asked.

"Nothing has changed. I came here to confirm our guesses. We'll still help you fighting the youma." She turned to leave, but then looked back at the others. "Oh, and don't worry, if the roles were reversed, I think we would be suspicious of your group, too."

Terry stood up as the girl walked out of the room. "Hey!"

"What?"

"What kind of spell did you use?"

"Teleport," The girl said, then vanished.

"Oh, that's cute," Terry muttered.

"Her accent was weird."

Ami looked at Usagi. "That's Diaz. She's from South America."

"_Interesting,_" Terry said in the best Spanish he could manage. Which wasn't that good, admittedly.

"_I wonder what she's doing in Japan?_" Ami said in a much better Spanish than Terry.

"Oh, you also know Spanish?"

Ami nodded. "I have an easier time learning languages than most people, from what I've seen."

"We're in Japan, guys, speak Japanese," Usagi muttered.

"_I agree,_" Mako said in a rather clumsy English.

Usagi stared at Mako in shock. "Not you too!"

"Pay more attention in class, _Rabbit,_" Terry said.

* * *

"Are you going to help those kids?"

"Are you?"

"I asked first."

Hakko looked at the woman. "No, I'm not going to stay here for long. And they've got all the help they need right now."

"Yes, that's right. It's one reason why I didn't help them much."

The woman talking to Hakko was none other than Prime Huntress Sagitta, the leader of the United States branch of the Demon Hunters. A group which had offered Hakko a position, in the past, but he had rejected it. He was a wanderer, he had only agreed to train Zephyr's son because he saw a lot of potential in him.

"What about the other group, the one back home?"

"I'm not sure. I was thinking about returning to Japan, but I'm not sure I want to be dragged into that war."

"That's a wise move. You should leave this to those who can defeat the youma."

Hakko ignored the verbal jab. "A bunch of teenagers, a woman who's older than our civilization, and a few talking cats."

"That pretty much sums it up, yeah," Sagitta said, not surprised at all Hakko knew that much.

"Still, I will go to Tokyo. If fate wants me to fight, I will."

"I knew it. You're always looking for trouble, Kyo."

"Hmph. And you're the same, Ryoko."

"That's true, but at least I know when I'm out of my league."

Hakko laughed at that. "The only battles worth fighting are those which seem impossible to win."

"Good luck in Tokyo, brother. I may go there too, one of these days."

* * *

As Usagi walked in, she saw there were a few of her friends already there, and also two girls she wanted to speak to. "Hi."

Hiyama looked at her. "... Hi."

Makai frowned. "What are you up to, Tsukino?" "Well, I thought that since we're working towards the same goal, then maybe..."

"You thought you could befriend us as easily as you did with your Senshi friends," Makai guessed. "Don't be mistaken, Tsukino. We will help you against youma, but we're not here to be your friends."

"But..."

"Usagi, let them be."

She saw Naru was walking to them, and sighed. "But I only..."

"If helping us is all they want to do, then I don't mind," Naru said.

"Still, why can't we be friends?"

Makai looked around, and saw the few students inside the room were Senshi. "Okay, I'll be blunt. We've been training to use magic since we were kids. We prepared for our whole lives to fight evil, but a Demon Hunter hardly ever sees a monster or two in their lifetime. Now there's a whole race of evil creatures out there, trying to take over the world, and we have to leave most of the fighting to a bunch of overpowered newbies."

"Aki!"

Makai looked at Hiyama and then stood up. "If you want to be best pals with them, Emi, go ahead. But don't count me in."

Hiyama saw her friend walking out of the classroom. "Wait!"

"I'll wait for the teacher out here, if you don't mind."

Hiyama sighed in defeat. "Sorry about that, Aki is not one to easily trust others."

Usagi shook her head. "She... She may be right. I... None of us train our magic, so we may be newbies, but we didn't choose this. I thought maybe we could be friends, since we're fighting against a common enemy."

Emi smiled at her. "Aki doesn't speak for the three of us. We don't know you and your friends enough, but I, for one, am willing to change that."

Terry had listened to the whole mess, but decided to say what she thought. "I'll have to agree with Makai in something, the Senshi are newbies. But they weren't given a choice, they were born with those powers, even though they needed a talking cat to tell them how to use them."

Aki walked back inside after hearing that. "I suppose you're right. None of us chose to be magicians, that's something we have in common."

"Sometimes it takes an outsider's point of view," Terry said with a smile. "So, instead of glaring at them for being newbies, why don't you girls help them?"

"We are helping you already, aren't we?" Aki asked.

Terry was about to answer, but then saw some classmates walking in. "We'll talk about that later. I think you know where to find us."

Usagi looked at Terry, wondering just what he meant by 'helping them.'

* * *

Several hours later, the Senshi were all waiting inside the mansion. "Are you sure they will show up?" Rei asked.

"Curiosity killed the mage," Terry said with a smile.

And coincidentially, a second later, the three Demon Huntresses appeared in the room. "Guess we did know where to find you," Emi commented.

"Welcome to my humble abode."

Maria looked at Terry. "Humble? This _room _is bigger than my dad's house."

"So, about what you said earlier..." Emi started.

"It's simple. The Senshi need training in combat and magic, but I can only teach them the basics of combat."

"You can teach them how to fight? I doubt it," Aki said.

Terry smiled at her, which made his next move rather hard to predict for everyone. One second he was standing there, smiling, the next he was standing right in front of Aki, his fist milimeters away from her face. "If you can't dodge something like this, then I guess you also need a bit of training."

Aki heard Maria's chuckle and turned to glare at her for a second, then turned back to look at Terry. "I suppose you're better than we thought at melee. Makes up for your lack of magic."

"See, that's something else I was thinking about. I am quite a newbie when it comes to fighting creatures who shoot energy beams off their hands. You can, in a way, teach me how to fight against them, without any magic."

"So, you want girls other than me kicking you around, huh?" Mako commented.

Maria looked at the Senshi in turns. "I suppose we could do it, but we'll have to tell our boss first. We have yet to tell her that we accidentally found out who you were."

"Incidentally, you mean," Terry said with a grin.

"That, too."

Aki looked at Usagi. "From what we've gathered, you're the strongest of your group. I'd love to see if I can block your stronger attack."

Terry nodded. "Okay, then we should go outside, there's plenty of room out there."

* * *

Usagi, or rather Sailor Moon, looked at Aki. "So, are you going to transform?"

"Huh? Oh, I thought you guys would guess this," Aki said, reaching out her hand. A ball of fire appeared hovering over it. "We don't need to 'transform' like Senshi do to use our magic."

"That gives them an advantage over us in combat," Ami said, "They can create a distraction without giving out their identities."

Moon still wasn't sure about Aki's idea. "Are you sure you can block my attack?"

"No, but that's why Emi and Maria are here."

Maria nodded. "We'll heal her if she fails, don't worry."

Moon nodded, but a part of her was not eager to do it. "Right then, here goes. Moon Tiara Flight!"

The tiara flew towards Aki, but bounced on an invisible barrier. It turned and attacked again, but it was repelled again. Aki frowned as the tiara returned to Moon's hands. "Wait, you hit more targets when you first used it..."

"I see no reason to keep trying. You already saw you can block not once, but twice. I could keep trying to hit you until you run out of energy, but that would only hurt you."

Aki blinked at that, then shook her head. "I see, I suppose there's no need to be reckless."

"Wisp!"

Moon turned to the side and stared at Maria. "What was that for?"

Maria looked at her in shock. "You didn't even feel the hit, did you?"

Aki chuckled. "No surprise there, it's obvious they will barely notice an attack that weak."

Ami suddenly reached her hand forwards, her communicator appearing in it. "Luna?"

"The youma showed up again. Are the others with you?"

"Yes. Where are they attacking, Luna?"

"Near the military base, you know, where we first met Kino. The youma are targeting Saiko Rakurai."

"That's bad," Moon said looking at her own communicator. "Did they get the crystal yet?"

Luna shook her head. "That soldier girl is tougher than I thought."

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Moon said.

Emi, or rather Mira, smiled as the Senshi put their communicators away. "We can be there in a second."

"Teleportation?" Terry said. "Can you take passengers?"

"On our own, we can't. But if we three combine our spells, then it will work."

"We need to go there as soon as we can," Moon said. "Guys, change for the fight."

"She's acting like a leader," Rei said, "that's a bad omen."

The three Demon Hunters waited until the others were ready, then nodded. "Let's go," Mira said.

"Teleport," Calisto said.

"Teleport," Circe repeated.

"Spell fusion, Mass Teleport!"

* * *

Moon blinked and looked around. "That was awesome."

"There they are!" Mercury said pointing down the block.

Normally, Nephrite would have been gloating about how the next youma would destroy the Senshi for sure, and preparing to fight them. But it was hard to do either when a crazy woman kept on shooting at you with an assault rifle. "How annoying..."

"Stop it right there!"

"Sorry, can't do that right now," Nephrite commented while dodging another volley of bullets.

"I guess normal weapons can hurt them," Mercury said, "otherwise they wouldn't be dodging."

Saiko laughed. "I bet you thought you could just knock me off like any other victim, freak! But I'm not that easy to beat!"

"Wait, where's Luminite?" Jupiter asked.

As if on cue, Luminite appeared right behind Saiko. Her target was apparently expecting that, since she pulled a handgun off her belt as she turned around, shooting at her.

Luminite flinched as the bullet hit her arm. "That actually did sting a bit."

Saiko smiled, but then gasped in shock. Luminite's surprise attack had only been a distraction, she realized as she felt the blast, then fell to the ground, a yellow crystal shard floating out of her body.

"Good, let's get..." Luminite started, reaching for the crystal, but a rose came flying by, slicing her arm. "Damn, not you again!" As she turned to glare at the tuxedo-wearing man, she noticed he was closer than she expected.

"I see he knows how to treat a lady," Zero joked as Tuxedo knocked Luminite away with a flying kick.

"I do, but she's no lady," Tuxedo Kamen commented, then grabbed the crystal. "Good, got one."

Nephrite had been about to attack him, but Nemesis stood in front of him. "Nadia, move."

"I already told you, Nadia is dead. And so is Neir."

Moon looked at Tuxedo Kamen. "Hey, can you give us that thing?"

"Sorry, I need these for something."

"What..."

A snarl interrupted Moon's question, and she turned to see Saiko had turned into a youma. A large, yellow, feline youma whose fur was crackling with lightning.

Zero couldn't help but smile as he thought about what the youma looked like. "Is she a _Thundercat _now?"

Mercury blinked at that, then shook her head. "I don't have data on this creature, but it's surely going to use electricity to attack."

Luminite was standing on top of a car, and laughed as the creature glared at the Senshi. "Raiyuu, it's time for some shock therapy!"

The Senshi all dove out of the way as a large ball of lighting shot from Raiyuu's mouth, wrecking a parked truck. Jupiter noticed something and looked around. "Wait, where are..."

"Flash!"

"Fireball!"

"Gust!"

Moon saw the creature turning to growl at the three Huntresses, and also, she noticed Tuxedo Kamen was gone. But she couldn't worry about that right now. "Guys, leave that thing to me. Moon Tiara Flight!"

The attack hit once, but the Raiyuu was fast, and dodged the second swipe. It then snarled and shot a bolt of lightning straight at Moon, knocking her out.

"Moon!"

Raiyuu growled as it noticed Jupiter running towards it, and shot another bolt. Jupiter, however, took it without flinching, jumping above the huge feline's head, and delivering a strong drop kick. "This is for hurting my friend!" she snapped.

"Won't you help your friends?"

Nemesis looked at Nephrite. "I would rather keep you in check."

Nephrite smiled as he saw Luminite slowly approaching Nemesis from behind. "If you say so."

Nemesis smiled back, just as Luminite charged for an energy blast. "You know, you youma are quite easy to fool," she noted, then dropped down to the ground just as Luminite shot. The blast hit Nephrite, and Nemesis leapt up before Luminite could figure out what had happened. "Dark Core!"

"Damn you, Nemesis," Luminite snapped.

"Thanks for knocking Nephrite out for me, guess you're not so useless after all."

"Shabon Spray!"

Nemesis decided to risk looking at the other part of the battle, and saw things weren't quite working. The three Huntresses were lying on the ground, and the other Senshi didn't look much better. Zero was trying his best to fight Raiyuu, but it moved too fast for him.

"Fire Soul Bird!" The fire construct tackled the youma, knocking it back, but it vanished before attackig again. "I'm out of power."

Nemesis was about to try her luck, but noticed Nephrite and Luminite were staggering up. "Can't you two just stay down?"

Mercury looked around. Moon was still out, as were their three allies, Jupiter and Zero were both trying to fight the creature (and _trying _was the key word,) and Mars didn't look like she could shoot anything. Usagi was right, they really needed to improve... But she thought she knew how they could beat this one youma. "Zero, Jupiter, get back!"

"We got this!" Jupiter shouted.

"Trust me on this one," Mercury said as her visor appeared in front of her eyes.

Zero looked at his watch and smiled. "Okay, do it."

Jupiter guessed what they meant. "Water and electricity don't get along..."

Mercury glared at the large feline. "Exactly what I was thinking. Shabon Spray..." She went through the motions of her normal technique, but instead of shooting her normal bubbles, she held on her attack for a bit longer, and the water bubble started shining. "... Freezing!" She tossed the bubble out, and it hit the creature, knocking it back and causing it to screech in pain. The usual mist fell over the area, but it was colder and thicker than before. Mercury smiled as she fell on her knees, but then saw the creature wasn't down yet. "No..."

"Don't worry, we'll get it. Dew!"

"Frost!"

"Hail!"

The three attacks hit the creature from the side, knocking it down, and it reverted to Saiko.

"_Awesome, _we finally beat one," Calisto said.

"We just finished it," Mira noted.

The two Generals floated towards the group, but they decided against fighting all the Senshi and their allies. Luminite just did the usual and got Raiyuu's soul, then they vanished.

Zero smiled at Mercury. "That attack was quite good. Almost up to the power of Mars' one."

Mercury stood up. "The improved fog doesn't only block vision, it can also block magic scanning. Maybe it will work against the Generals now."

"Good to hear," Moon said. She was sitting on the ground near them, she had seen Mercury's attack, but was still quite tired. "And thanks, girls, you really helped this time."

"No problem. Feels good to actually beat one of those things, even if we had a lot of help from you."

"Great, now I'm the only sidekick who hasn't killed anything."

Calisto frowned and a ball of darkness appeared in her hand. "Who are you calling a sidekick?"

Zero smiled. "Stop bluffing, you can barely stand."

Calisto shook her head and her 'attack' vanished. "Jerk."

"Yeah, he has his moments," Moon agreed.

Saiko stood up and looked around. "Damn it, did I do all that?"

"Well, we all did," Jupiter noted, "you turned into a large electric cat, wasn't hard to get you back to normal."

"Crap, sorry if I hurt any of you, guys."

"You weren't yourself," Moon said dismissively, finally standing up.

"I'll agree with what Moon said before," Mercury said, "we do need training. We can't just keep on getting lucky and powering up like that, can we?"

"True," Jupiter said. "We need a secret base!"

Saiko smiled at that. "And a bunch of robots?"

"Go Go Sailor Senshi..." Zero muttered, causing the Senshi to glare at him for a second. "No sense of humor."

"You guys are weird," Saiko said. "You look pretty beaten up, though. Need me to get you to a hospital?"

"No, we heal faster than normal humans," Mercury said, "thanks for the offer, though."

"No ulterior motives there, right?" Zero said with a frown.

"I wouldn't need that cheap a trick to know who you are," Saiko retorted, "I have my guesses, specially about you, but... Let's say I won't try to find out if I'm right, at least for the time being."

Zero saw Saiko walk away and shook his head. "Shit, does she really know, or was she bluffing?"

"You need to find another rich teenage guy and bring him to Japan, maybe that'll confuse her," Jupiter said with a wink.

"Okay, we'll help you train some other day," Circe said, quite sure the Senshi would otherwise keep up their silly antics forever. "Let's go, girls."

Mars watched them leave, then looked around. "We should leave too."

As the Senshi left the area, Yukiko Hokuge walked out from around a corner. "Guess that girl was right, walking around the city works. Now if I could find a way to talk to them when no giant mutated freak is around, that would be awesome."

* * *

**A/N: **There's a completely awesome reason for choosing an electric youma as Saiko's 'inner youma.'

Okay, not really. It's just another dumb pun. Rakurai means literally "thunderbolt."

Sorry about the slow updates. Life keeps making me waste time I would usually waste in writing.


	18. Fight fire with lightning

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 18: Fight fire with lightning.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 4, 2013_

* * *

Terry couldn't help but wince as he looked around his backyard. There were many patches of grass which were either frozen or burnt. True, he wanted to improve as much as the others, but he also wanted to find a place for them to do it without wrecking his house.

"Fire Soul!"

Circe was sent rolling back by the blast, and laid on the ground, trying to get her bearings back. "I suppose you guys aren't that weak after all."

Mira helped Circe up and smiled. "Or maybe we're not that strong."

"You know, I don't know about this," Calisto noted, "training out here?"

"Hey now, I'm a gentleman," Terry, or rather Zero, said.

"That's not what I mean. Don't you rich people always have some paparazzi hounding you?"

"My father's the famous one, I'm just a kid. Japanese media doesn't seem to care that much about me."

"If you're that worried, maybe we could go ask Jadeite to put a black dome around the mansion while we train," Mars joked.

Zero looked at the three Huntresses. "Okay, since you're fired up after training with the Senshi," he paused and noticed all the girls cringing at his pun, "how about you help me train a bit?"

"Won't our spells hurt you?" Mira asked.

"No offense, but I can take a hit by Mars' Fire Soul and not feel the heat, so I doubt it."

"Shadow Clap."

Usagi frowned at Circe as Zero was sent flying back several meters by a wide darkness wave. "Hey!"

Circe ignored her, instead smiling as Zero stood up. "None taken."

"Okay, so I guess some of your spells are a bit stronger than a Senshi's first level ones," Zero admitted. "Still, I think I can be hit by a few of those without any real danger."

"Terry, I don't risking being hurt like that is a good idea," Ami warned.

The ninja smiled at her. "We're taking a lot of risks when we go fight youma, and I'm the weakest of us all. I would like to get better at dodging magic blasts, and if that means taking a shot or two from peole I know won't hurt me on purpose, then I'm fine with that."

"Where's the 'I don't trust you girls' attitude?"

"What can I say, I think Usagi's a bad influence for me. But joking aside, you're our allies, you've helped us in battle, and as far as I'm concerned, you're trustworthy."

"Good. Now stand still while we blast you around," Circe joked.

"Not a chance," Zero said and rushed at Circe.

The other girls stood back as the Huntresses started shooting at Zero. He wasn't fond of just dodging, however, so he kept on trying to hit them, but they phased out of harm's way each and every time.

Rei noticed Ami was staring at the fight, her face showing she wasn't quite happy about it. "Don't worry, he'll be okay," she said in a whisper.

Ami blushed slightly as she realized her friend had noticed her worry. "Uhm, I just don't want him to get hurt."

"Neither do I," Rei said.

"Flare!"

Zero dodged the fire blast, and used the momentum to jump straight at Mira. Mira saw this, and decided to try something other than dodging. "Shock Surge!"

The electricity hit Zero dead on, but didn't quite stop his charge. However, it caused him to lose focus for a second, turning his jump into a fall, and he ended up lying on the ground on top of Mira.

Calisto barely stopped herself from laughing out loud. "I see Emi knows how to make a guy fall for her."

Zero leapt away quickly, looking at Mira apologetically. "Uh, sorry about that."

Mira stood up. "It was my fault, I should just dodge next time."

"Or maybe you'll get him to fall again," Calisto teased.

"Cut it off, Maria."

Usagi had watched the scene along with the others, but she had also noticed something. Ami had, for a split second, shot a glare in Emi's direction. Maybe Usagi was reading too much into that, but could Ami be jealous?

Circe looked at Zero and nodded. "If you can dodge youma like you dodge us, then you'll have little problem fighting them," she paused for a few seconds before smiling slyly as she added "just try not to go falling on top of them."

"Aki!" Mira hissed, blushing a deep red.

Zero vanished his mask and looked at the other two Huntresses. "Really, cut it off, or I'm going to start thinking you wish you had been in Mira's place."

That got him a short glare from Mira, but also caused the other two to fall silent and stare at each other, before they also blushed.

* * *

Next morning, after school, Usagi and Terry were walking home. "Training was a lot more fun than I thought," the girl suddenly commented.

"Don't start with that," Terry muttered.

"Not what I meant," Usagi said, "but you know, I saw Ami glaring at Emi when that happened."

Terry stopped walking for a second, then shook his head and caught up with her. "I think you're just making things up."

"I know what I saw."

"Why would Ami like me? When I'm not being a blonde joke, I'm being a grim fool. I don't think it's the money, either."

Usagi smiled at that. "Oh, so you also..."

Terry stopped walking again, looking at Usagi with a neutral stare. "Don't tell her a thing."

"But you two-"

"There's more important things to take care of right now."

Usagi frowned at that. "Like what, killing Luminite?"

"Finding the other pieces of the crystal, finding the Princess, defeating the youma... But yes, at some point Luminite will have to be dealt with, too."

"What is it you're scared of?"

"I already lost someone I cared for to the youma. What if I fail again?"

Usagi sighed and started walking again. "I understand what you mean, but I can't agree with you."

"So, you'll tell her."

"She would use our mission as an excuse, just like you, so I won't."

"Thanks, I guess." Terry said, then noticed Usagi staring at him. "What?"

"Guess I'm a bit jealous of Ami, too," Usagi said, blushing slightly.

Terry's eyes widened. "Oh... But I thought you were after that Tuxedo Kamen guy?"

"I would gladly stop daydreaming about him if-" Usagi started, then realized she had said too much. "Uhm, sorry, I don't want things to get weird."

"Don't worry, _Rabbit, _I know I'm too charming for my own good. We can still be friends."

Usagi shook her head at that. "Now if you weren't so egocentric at times..."

"Ouch," Terry said with a smile. "I'm sure you'll find someone, Usagi."

* * *

When Rei got to the shrine, she was surprised to see an unknown man sweeping the stairs. The man seemed only a few years older than her, and was wearing a shinto outfit. "Who are you?"

"You must be Hino's granddaughter. My name is Yuichiro Kumada, he hired me to help at the shrine."

"I see. Nice to meet you, Yuichiro."

"Likewise."

I have to talk to grandfather about this, Rei thought as she walked up the stairs.

* * *

"... And he said he needed the money, and he doesn't look like a bad guy, so I hired him," the old man finished his explanation and looked at Rei. "I know, you would expect me to hire a cute young girl instead. But think about it, this way you won't have to worry about me being distracted." He stared at her with a smile which was one sound effect away from a chuckle, and added "or are you worried he will distract you?"

"As if," Rei muttered. "But I suppose you're right, it's hard to take care of the shrine on our own."

"And you seem to be pretty busy lately. I hope your friends are not distracting you from your studies. Specially that blond, handsome young man..."

"He's a friend."

"Nothing else?"

"No. And even if I was interested, I think his heart belongs to someone else already."

"I see. Okay-" He was interrupted by a shout from the outside. "Let's see what's going on. Hope it's not one of those monsters."

* * *

As they walked outside, Rei cursed under her breath. Luminite and Kunzite were there, and Yuichiro was facing them, wielding his broom as if it were a sword. "That guy's insane."

"I agree," Luminite mused and shot an energy blast at the guy.

Yuichiro leapt over it, bringing his makeshift weapon down on Luminite's head. The broom broke and Yuichiro stared at in in surprise. "Wow, she's tougher than she looks."

Nephrite had enough of the human, and shot a blast at him, knocking him out. "Now, let's get down to business."

Rei had figured out what they were after, her grandfather was a carrier. She couldn't transform in front of him, but he had to protect him, somehow.

The old man noticed her indecision and decided to stop fooling around. "Rei, you should go somewhere safe," he said out loud, then in a whisper, he added. "Then you can call your friends and take care of these evil ones."

Rei was quite shocked, but knew she would have to save her questions for later. "Okay, I'll go get help!"

Nephrite looked at the short old man. "Nothing you do will save you."

"I've heard the rumors, you target civilians, and those attacked turn into monsters until the Senshi defeat them."

"That's about right," Luminite noted. "So, will you give up?"

"Why not," the man said, "I'm just an old man, I can't hope to win against your kin."

Luminite smiled and walked to him, her hand lighting up. "Good, now stand st- Aargh!"

Nephrite wasn't quite sure what had happened, but the man had moved quite faster than someone that old should. Luminite was lying on the ground, clutching her arm and screaming in pain, a small piece of paper sticking to it. "What the Darkness..."

The man showed him another piece of paper. "My charms keep evil spirits away."

Nephrite laughed. "Oh, I see. There is magic to be wary of besides that of the Senshi."

Hino glared at the man. "Want to see if you're faster than your friend?"

Nephrite frowned. Actually, he didn't feel like testing that out. But he just had to wait until Luminite recovered, and keep him distracted in the meantime.

* * *

"Guys, this is Mars. The youma are targeting my grandfather. Come to the shrine as soon as you can."

"I'm just a block away," Mako said through the communicator.

"We'll go as soon as we can," Usagi said, "just try to stop them from getting him."

Mars sighed as she put her comm away. They didn't need to tell her that.

* * *

Terry looked at Usagi as she put her comm away. "Actually, I think we shouldn't stop youma from getting their targets."

"But this is Rei's grandpa, we can't just-"

"Listen, each of these 'carriers' has a piece of the Ginzuishou. We need those. Sure, they turn into a strong youma for a bit, but you have to trust yourself, and the others. And if the youma can't get their target, they'll just try again. What if they decide to attack Rei's grandfather while we're all at school?"

Usagi looked at Terry and smiled. "Well, I think I know what Ami sees in you..."

"Leave that for later, let's kick some youma rears."

* * *

Mars couldn't help but smile at the scene she saw when she got back to the shrine. Her grandfather was kneeling on the ground, visibly tired, but both Nephrite and Luminite were down and screaming in pain. "How did you do that?" She asked as she run to him.

"My charms are just too strong for weaklings like those. It's too bad it can only give them a few minutes of pain."

Mars nodded. "We'll talk later, now we have to..."

"I've had my fun," the man said, "but now you should let them get me."

"What? No, I can't do-"

"These monsters will keep coming back until they get me."

"How do you know that?" Mars asked, slightly upset at not realizing that herself. Moreso, they did need the Ginzuishou, so she would have to let her grandfather be turned, much despite herself.

"I have my sources. Now get ready, lady Mars," Hino said with a smile.

Mars saw Nephrite and Luminite standing up and sighed. "Right."

"Oh, one of those pests is here," Luminite noted dismissively. "Nephrite, get her, I'll wait until something worth fighting shows up."

"Likewise," Mars said, causing the two Generals to look at her in surprise. "You guys are too easy to fight, so turn this old man into whichever youma he has inside."

Nephrite frowned at that. "Overconfident, aren't we?"

Mars smiled. "I have my reasons."

Nephrite shrugged, noticing his target wasn't moving, and shot at the old man. He had guessed Mars' move, or at least that's what he thought. He shot an energy blast close to the crystal shard, but Mars had not moved to get it. Before he could wonder what was going on, he heard a shout of "Supreme Thunder!" and was sent flying forwards.

Luminite realized things had turned bad as he saw Nephrite fly. She turned and yelped as she leapt aside, barely dodging Jupiter's charge. "Another pest."

Mars smiled as she took the crystal, then looked at her grandfather, whose form was already changing, growing in size until it was several meters tall. "Oh crap."

Nephrite staggered up and smiled as he saw what the old man had turned into. "Suzaku, the youma of flame."

Mars realized two things. One, her attacks would do little against this youma. And two, she had to draw it away from her house. "Fire Soul!"

Jupiter saw Mars being chased out of the shrine by the youma, and knew what her plan was. "Oh well, it's not like I need the help."

Nephrite shoot a blast at Jupiter, but the girl dodged it. "You're on your own, and your friend will not be able to deal with Suzaku."

"Maybe she won't, but you're wrong about the first part."

"Moon Tiara Flight!"

Jupiter looked up as the Tiara hit the two Generals several times without stopping. "Good timing."

Zero saw Moon was kneeling on the ground. "Hey _Rabbit, _you shouldn't waste all your energy like that."

"Who's wasting anything? Look at them."

Zero finally noticed the Generals were out cold, and nodded. "I see. Jupiter, go help Mars. I'll knock them out again if they wake up."

As Jupiter run off, Moon looked at Zero. "Luminite's out cold."

Zero stared at Luminite. "I know."

"I thought you would-"

"I'm not going to lower myself to her level," Zero said, knowing what she meant.

Moon smiled. "Good, I was worried you would."

Mercury rushed in, and saw the others had the situation controlled. "Where's the youma?"

"Mars had to drag it away from here, it was a huge fire bird," Moon noted. They had seen the creature from a distance, and knew it would have burnt the place down if they fought it there.

"A phoenix?" Mercury said. "Wonder why they all look like mythical creatures?"

"Perhaps mythical creatures look after them, actually," Zero guessed. "Go help the others, we'll be fine."

"Water versus fire," Mercury noted. "Still, what if these two wake up?"

"I'll just knock them around for a while."

Moon stood up. "Don't worry, Ami, we can keep them busy."

"Okay, I'll go help the others," Mercury said.

It only took a couple minutes for the two Generals to wake up. "Ow, my head."

"Hey there, Snow White."

Luminite glared at Zero. "Let's dance."

Nephrite looked at Moon. "I'm growing tired of your meddling."

"Likewise," Moon said, noticing Luminite and Zero were already trying to cut each other to pieces. "I don't like to fight, but that doesn't mean I'll let you win, Nephrite."

* * *

Mars leaned on a wall and sighed. Her own fire bird was no match for the youma, Nemesis' attack had barely hurt it, and Jupiter was not having a lot more luck with her electric attacks. The three Huntresses were nowhere to be seen, and Mercury was...

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

The bird was knocked off the sky by the water blast, and the thick mist descended upon the area. Mercury walked to where Mars was, with Nemesis and Jupiter trailing right behind her. "Where's Moon?"

"She's keeping an eye on the Generals," Mercury explained.

"She gave them quite a beating," Jupiter commented, "I hope they stay out of the fight for a while."

"Where are the sidekicks?"

"Dew!

"Hail!"

"Rain Ball!"

"Here we are," Calisto said as the three Huntresses run in, then she added. "And we're not sidekicks!"

The mist cleared, and Mercury flinched. "Can't shoot another one, sorry."

"It's okay, that bird's quite tired."

Mars tried to summon her attack, but shook her head. "I'm out of juice too."

The bird, however, wasn't about to let the others try. It flapped its wings, and a large wave of fire shot forth, hitting all its foes.

Jupiter stood up, noticing only her and Mars were still conscious. "Damn it, we can't lose against a fried chicken."

Just then, a rose flew straight at the youma, burning up to ashes right after hitting it. "Worth a try," Tuxedo Kamen said from the rooftop he was standing on.

The bird screeched and shot a fire blast. The man leapt off the roof, barely dodging the attack, and bounced from wall to wall to descend safely. Jupiter watched this and frowned. Tuxedo couldn't beat one of the Rainbow Youma, Mars was weakened, and her other friends were out cold. She was on her own, but she knew just what to do. "Hey, ugly!" Suzaku turned to her, but she smiled. "Stop burning down my city. Supreme... Thunder..." She went through the motions of her Supreme Thunder attack, but held on the electricity for a while longer, forming a large ball of lightning. She rose her hands, and the electricity shot up, forming a large, dragon-like construct. "... Dragon!" Jupiter finally shouted, pointing at the firebird. The dragon hit the youma before it could react, knocking it to the ground and zapping it for several seconds.

Jupiter smiled and fell to one knee. The bird was gone, and grandpa Hino was left instead. "Such a lot of trouble in such a small package."

"Hey, that's my grandfather you're talking about," Mars said with a frown.

"Sorry."

Mars smiled. "It's okay. Let's go help Moon and Zero."

"Knowing the youma, they'll run away as usual."

* * *

Luminite laughed. "Really, kid, is that all you've got?"

Zero was holding his arm and panting, but still glared at her defiantly. "Let me recover and I'll show you."

"Not likely," Luminite snapped, but then turned to the side. "Suzaku."

Nephrite appeared near her. "He's been defeated. Let's go."

"But these kids..."

"We'll kill them eventually, but we can't lose Suzaku."

"Good point."

Zero looked around as the two Generals vanished. "Moon?"

Moon came limping to him, a line of blood running down her leg. "I'm fine, don't wo-"

Zero caught Moon before she hit the ground. "You're not fine."

The other Senshi were walking up the stairs, but they rushed to the two as they noticed Moon was hurt. "Moon, what happened?"

"Nephrite's tough to fight alone," Moon said with a weak smile.

The Huntresses appeared in front of them and winced as she saw Moon's wound. "Good thing Mira wanted to check on you two."

"We need to get her to a hospital," Mars said.

Calisto smiled and put a hand on Moon's wounded leg. "No need for that. Cure!"

Moon blinked a few times as she felt the wound closing. "Wow, that's amazing. Thanks."

"Rei, I think we need to talk."

Mars looked at her grandfather, who was just done walking up the stairs, and smiled as her friends all looked shockedly at them. "Guys, he knows about me."

"We'll see you later, then," Moon said.

Mira smiled. "Let's go back to your 'base' and we'll split from there."

Zero chuckled at the 'base' part. "Sure."

"Teleport!"

"Teleport!"

"Spell fusion, Mass Teleport!"

Hino blinked a few times as the Senshi and allies left. As she turned to Mars, he noticed she was back to her normal form. "Now, where's Kumada?"

Yuichiro came walking to them. "That was weird, I thought I heard voices here."

"It's just us two in here," Rei said.

Hino looked at the man. "I have something important to discuss with my granddaughter. Give us a shout if you need help, but I would appreciate if you didn't interrupt us for a while."

"Understood," Yuichiro said, then watched the two walk into the temple. "I guess rumors were right, this part of the city is never dull."

* * *

"So, how did you find out?" Rei asked.

"It's quite simple to explain. You may not have noticed how your spiritual energy shot up since you became one of them, but I sure did."

Rei nodded slowly at that. "Uhm, I did notice, I didn't think you would guess why."

"And you should be more careful," the man added, "I wasn't quite sure which one you were, but then I saw Sailor Mars run out of the temple..."

Rei sighed. "Yeah, I guess none of us is too good at stealth, but we're learning as we go."

"Thanks for knocking me back to my senses, by the way."

"It took a lot of us to do that," Rei admitted, "but it was Jupiter who finally got you."

"That's your friend Makoto, I suppose."

Rei stared at her grandfather for a few seconds. "... I suppose you also sensed their energy."

"Good guess," Hino said. "I wonder what Taichi will think when he finds out his niece is one of you?"

"Please, don't tell him."

"I won't, but he's smart and he has the resources. It's just a matter of time before he finds out on his own."

* * *

**A/N: **I could have called this particular youma "Houou" too, but I'm not sure which one's the most used (and least accurate) to make a pun on 'phoenix.'

Why are the demons inside people who's shown up more than once in the fic? Because while I didn't quite like the "monster of the day" formula of the anime, what I hated was the "pointless, shallow youma fodder of the day" formula. I am not fond of once-a-story characters, and will only use them when it can't be avoided.

In any case, next chapter I'll give the Tokyo Senshi a break. It's time for the other groups to have a bit of fun. If one can call being used as practice targets by the youma Generals and Beryl herself 'fun,' that is.


	19. A short time ago, in a country far away

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 19: A short time ago, in a country far, far away...**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 5, 2013_

* * *

"I wonder how long Kunzite's going to keep up his facade."

Artemis smiled. "I thought you were having fun here."

"I am, and I like Brad, but I miss home."

"Don't worry, the Tokyo group is close to getting all the pieces of the Ginzuishou."

Minako looked at the cat. "Don't laugh at me, but I've been thinking... What if _I _am the Princess?"

Artemis didn't laugh, he had also considered that possibility. "Then we'll find out when we go back home."

"As far as I'm concerned, you're quite a princess, Mina."

Minako turned to the door and saw Brad standing there, smiling at her. "Don't you ever knock?"

"Why should I, I could get lucky and catch you half-naked."

"Jerk."

"I have my moments," Brad admitted. "Anyhow, have any plans for today?"

"I think I'll stay home and study."

"... And joking aside?"

"I'm serious," Minako said, "I enjoy spending time with you, but I don't want to go back home with worse grades than I had when I came here."

"Is that even possible?" Artemis mused, prompting a glare from the blonde. But in fact, he had to admit Minako had changed while in London, her grades had definitely improved, even though she spent quite a bit of time with Brad. His train of toughts was derailed as he sensed something. From the look in Brad's face, he had also felt it. "Youma."

"I can sense it, a few miles to the north. They're leaking a lot of energy," Brad explained, "almost as if they wanted us to know where to go."

"It must be a trap," Artemis noted.

"But if we don't go, innocent people could die," Minako said. "I guess we'll have to humor the youma."

* * *

Kunzite waited patiently. He knew either the mage or the cat would sense him, it was just a matter of time before V showed up. He had two cards under his sleeve this time around. First off, Zoicite was waiting for the right moment, he would show up when their foes were already fighting him. And second, he was using one of the shards of the Ginzuishou, so his power was enhanced, without wasting any energy from the Dark Kingdom's reserves.

He had learnt how V thought, after so many battles. He knew she would fall into this trap, and he knew her enough to know she would know it was a trap. Senshi were a strange group, risking their lives for people they didn't know.

* * *

Hotaru was feeling homesick, and she didn't fear admitting it. It had been months, and Aurite kept on attacking. They were stopping her from gathering too much energy, and it was obvious Aurite's mission, right now, was to keep them isolated from the other Senshi. She wondered if it wouldn't be wiser to go back to Japan, to help the others. The more the merrier, the saying went, even though she had a hard time socializing.

"You look worried."

She shrugged. "Because I am."

"And you're in a bad mood, too."

Hotaru looked at the guy. How could he tell?

"You may keep your poker face at all times, but your eyes still tell me a lot," Kage said. "Is it about the youma?"

"Yes. I'm wondering how long it will take. Aurite's just wasting youma and losing each and every time."

"They just want to keep us here, I guess."

Hotaru nodded. "I guessed that, too." She then looked at Kage. Stared, even.

The guy could only take a minute of that before staring back at her. "What's wrong?"

"There's something bothering you, something I can't quite figure out."

Kage blinked at that. Was he that easy to read? "I... It's not something worth worrying about."

Hotaru stood up and walked to the window, staring at the cityscape for a minute. "Much despite myself, you're the second person I would ever consider calling a friend." She turned to look at him again. "And I've been told worrying about one's friend is a good thing."

Kage smiled at her. "Yes, it is, but still... I can't tell you."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both."

"Then it has to do with me," Hotaru said, noticing the guy was blushing. "And I think I can make an educated guess."

"Really?" Kage said with a smirk. "I suppose I don't need to tell you, if you figured it out."

"I think I have, but..." Hotaru suddenly winced and looked out the window. "Damn."

"Saved by the bell," Kage mused.

Hotaru stared at him as she summoned her glaive. "We'll have to talk about it after we deal with Aurite."

"How can I say no when you're holding that thing?."

Hotaru laughed at that, then shook her head. "You're definitely a bad influence for me."

* * *

As the heroes reached their target, V growled in anger. "Damn it, I like that mall."

Kunzite appeared in front of them, smiling in a mocking way. "I am glad you got my message, V. This will be the last time you interfere with my plans."

"If I had a pound for each time you said that, I would be richer," Sigma noted.

"Careful, he's stronger than ever before," Artemis noted.

"I see that," Sigma admitted, "but V can still beat him around." He didn't add 'I hope,' but he still thought that.

"So, where's the weak youma of the day?" V asked.

"I won't need one," Kunzite said. "Now stop talking and die!"

V dodged the blast, which was larger and visibly stronger than she was used to. It hit a parked car, causing it to explode, and kept going, hitting the side of a building before fading. "Hey, stop wrecking the city."

"Only if you stand still."

V leapt straight at Kunzite, going for a kick to the head, but Kunzite dodged that easily. "How about _you _stand still, instead?"

Sigma smirked. "I think I can somehow help with that. Hermes Dash."

V felt a rush of energy wash over her, and saw Kunzite shot another blast, but... Was it moving slower? No, she realized what Brad's plan was. She easily dodged the blast, and run to Kunzite, who was now too slow, comparatively speaking, to dodge her kick.

Kunzite fell to the ground, quite surprised by his foes. Sigma had never used a spell like that before, was he saving up the best for their last fight? He couldn't risk finding out what else the mage had in stock, so he gave Zoicite the mental signal to attack.

Sigma sensed a spike of energy and summoned a magic shield, but the blast still knocked him aside. As Zoicite floated to him, he sighed. "You're pretty, girl, but I'm taken."

"Thanks for the compliment, kid, but who said I'm a girl?"

Sigma blinked a few times before . "Uh, okay then, I suppose I... Flare!"

The General was caught off-guard by the sudden fire blast, and staggered back. "I see Kunzite was right, you're pretty strong."

The mage took a defensive pose, summoning his sword as he did, but he also glanced to the side. V was losing her fight, and he knew it. He couldn't keep his speed spell up while fighting this creep, so he would have to get rid of him fast. "I suppose you're another General. I was told you guys were supposed to be strong enough to defeat a thousand of my kin, but what I've seen thus far is quite different to the legends."

"I don't need to be strong enough to kill thousands of your group, kid, because there's only one of you in front of me," Zoicite snapped, summoning a crystal blade and slashing at his foe.

* * *

"Aurite and Jadeite. So predictable," Orion noted.

Aurite looked at the Senshi and her ally dismissively. "We have a little surprise for you."

Orion's eyes widened. "Damn, her energy's rising. A lot."

"We've gathered a few of the crystal shards back in Tokyo, and we discovered they could be used to enhance a magician's skills. You could have beaten me in the past, but this will be your last battle."

"Big words, but you better save them for when you actually beat us, Goldie."

Pluto appeared besides Saturn, and glared at Aurite. "She won't beat you, I've already seen the outcome of this fight."

"You help them win at times, Pluto, but I won't let you interfere today!"

Pluto didn't even turn as she used her staff to deflect an energy blast which had been aimed to her side. "You youma are bad at listening. I said I had seen the outcome of this fight. I already knew Beryl would be here. Stop hiding, oh mighty Youma Queen."

Beryl appeared near Pluto. "You're telling me to stop hiding? Where were you when the old Senshi fell?"

"If you're trying to upset me, you'll have to do much better than that."

* * *

V rolled to the side, dodging a blast, which blew a small crater right where she had been standing moments earlier. She couldn't win this, she was too weak to defeat Kunzite, and she knew Sigma was also having a hard time. If she failed, then these freaks would kill him. But what could she do?

Kunzite had been about to shoot at V again, but something stopped him. Artemis leapt at him from the side, slashing at his arm. Kunzite yelped in pain and then glared at the cat, shooting a blast which knocked the cat away.

"Art!" V glared at Kunzite. So what if she was too weak right now? She was a Senshi. She was supposed to be a warrior, not a damsel in distress! She could not depend on others to save her all the time, specially if they were going to be hurt while helping her. If she was too weak to fight her foe, then the solution was quite simple. She just had to become stronger. "Kunzite!"

Kunzite didn't turn to gloat or laugh at V. No, he could sense her power rising, above his, even. "What in Darkness..."

"Crescent Beam..." Venus went through the motions of her normal attack, but the ball of light was larger, and she held her finger pointed at Kunzite for longer than usual. The ball suddenly split in dozens of small light dots, and Venus smiled coldly. "... Shower!"

The result was a barrage of small light beams, shooting in a small arc. Kunzite managed to dodge a few, but most of them hit him dead on, sending him crashing through a wall and into a grocery. V smiled as she saw Kunzite wasn't moving, but then fell to her knees.

"I have to... Help Brad."

Artemis came limping to her. "Don't worry, I don't think he will need your help."

V stared at the cat. "What are you not telling me?"

"I've sensed something in him lately, but I couldn't be sure of it. However, I'm sensing it again, and it's stronger this time around. You want to help him, to protect him, right?" V nodded at that, and Artemis smiled. "Well, he wants to protect you too. He must know that you're exhausted, and that you can't fight the other General. So, he'll win."

V looked at the other battle still being fought a block away from them, and smiled. "You're right, he can win this."

* * *

Sigma himself wasn't quite sure of his victory. Zoicite was blocking all he threw at him, and his sword skills were as good, if not better, than Sigma's. But he had sensed several things in the last minute. First, Venus' power had risen quite a bit. Then, he could sense Kunzite was out for the count (dead, even?), but also, he knew Venus was in no shape to fight. So, he couldn't let this freak defeat him.

Both he and Zoicite stopped fighting as Sigma's sword lit up. "What the heck..."

Artemis walked to him. "As I suspected, that's one of the Dragon Swords."

"Dragon Swords?" Sigma stared at his sword. He knew what the swords were, and he also knew the legends. They would only react to those they choose. He also knew what legends said about those who weren't chosen and still tried to call upon their power. But he had been using this sword, without knowing what it really was, for a long time. He could hear the words in his mind. Quite amusing for this sword to be his, considering who he was dating.

Zoicite took a step back as the sword's light grew brighter. "What in Darkness..."

"The complete opposite, actually," Sigma said. "Venus Dragon Power!"

Much like his female counterpart, his transformation was quick. A bubble of light surrounded him, blurring his features, and it shrank until it touched his body. The light then solidified and grew dimmer, and he was left wearing a white, full bodysuit, with orange boots and gloves. His sword had also changed, it was as orange as his gloves, and the hilt now had the shape of a dragon, with its wings serving as guards, and the blade was coming out of the dragon's mouth.

Artemis smiled. "I knew it. You're Dragon Venus."

"Hmph, big deal, I'm almost as strong as Kunzite, a single Senshi won't defeat me."

"You forget I'm not only a Senshi," Dragon Venus said. "I didn't want to bring the big guns out, because a normal magician could be killed using them, but I do have something stronger than even Venus' attack."

Zoicite laughed at that. "I seriously doubt it."

"You're seriously wrong, then," Dragon Venus said. He rose his sword, which lit up again, but this time it was a red light. "Demon Sword!"

Last thing Zoicite remembered before waking up, was the Dragon slamming his sword into the ground, then everything had exploded around him. He was too weak to even stand up, and he could see Kunzite still lying on the ground. This was bad, he barely had any power left, but they couldn't fail, not when they were so close...

He looked to his side, and saw Venus checking on the Dragon. The guy was unconscious, or judging by Venus' body language, he could be... No, the guy was stirring now, and Venus was smiling.

Zoicite saw the cat walk to him, and glared at it. "Damn that guy, I'm going to-"

"You're going to leave and take your ally with you. Pass this message to your Queen, we know what you're plans are, and we're going back to Japan to help the other Senshi. You should also consider going there."

Zoicite glared at the cat for a few more seconds, then laughed. "That's nice, but pointless. We're close to gathering all the Rainbow Youma, even if you all gather, you won't be able to defeat us."

Artemis turned as Zoicite vanished (taking Kunzite along) and saw V and Dragon Venus walking to him. "So, are you two okay?"

"Nothing a week of resting won't solve," Dragon Venus joked.

V took off her mask. "I heard what you said, Art, and I think we need to go back home. But I will go as Sailor Venus, not Sailor V." She looked at Dragon Venus and sighed. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm a Senshi too, but even if I was just Hunter Sigma, I would follow you. I would never let the girl I love fight face those youma alone."

Venus stared at him for several seconds, before blushing. "It's the first time you say it."

"Huh?"

"First time you say you love me."

"Are you sure? I'm sure I've said it before..." the Dragon pondered.

"You didn't, silly," Venus said with a chuckle. "And now I realize something. I never did, either. But I also love you."

Artemis coughed a bit too loud, shredding the tender moment to pieces, as he looked at the cityscape. "I suggest you two lovebirds continue this at the mansion, I can already hear sirens in the distance." He got no answer for a few seconds, so he turned to look at the couple, and smiled. Venus and Dragon Venus were locked in a kiss, and even though he knew they had to leave, Artemis wasn't going to interrupt them.

But his mind returned to Zoicite's words. The Rainbow Youma were still alive? That could mean trouble, after all, it had been those youma who had killed the Senshi in the past. But he trusted Venus... Minako, and he knew they would find a way to defeat even those legendary monsters.

* * *

A continent away, another Senshi was facing similar odds. Normally, Sailor Saturn would have given Aurite a good beating, but the General was much stronger than her now, and Saturn's endurance was rather low. She was worried about another battle more than her own, however. While Pluto needed no help against Beryl (it was pretty obvious Pluto was merely keeping Beryl busy,) Orion was not doing well against Jadeite.

But she couldn't get distracted, Aurite was not giving her any room to do so. As much as it worried her, she would have to let Orion take care of his own battle. She could only focus on defeating Aurite as soon as possible.

* * *

Orion was also worried. Jadeite was too strong for him, and if he fell, then Saturn would be left facing two Generals. He couldn't let that happen, but what could he do? Using the Demon Sword was suicide, and he would rather not resort to that. But no other spell he had used seemed to work. No, he knew what to do. He smiled as his sword started shining, noticing Jadeite had guessed what was about to happen. "I won't let you win. Sun Dragon Power!"

Jadeite wasn't worried, a brand-new Senshi could beat a normal youma, but he was not one. "Senshi or not, you'll still die."

The Dragon's transformation was strange to watch. Many discs of fire (was it even fire?) surrounded him, slowly melting into him, and forming his suit. It was like Dragon Venus' one, only the gloves, boots and sword were golden. "Sorry, I have something very important to discuss with a friend after this battle, so I can't die." He aimed his open palm at Jadeite, then closed it in a fist. "Gravity Hold."

Jadeite wasn't sure what had happened, but he had felt no blast. Still, he was down on the ground, and couldn't move a muscle. "What cheap trick is this?"

"Just plain old gravity, increased tenfold. Now just lie there while Saturn takes care of your girlfriend."

Jadeite glared at the Dragon, but couldn't move to attack. The pressure on his body was incredible, he couldn't even focus long enough to teleport out of the way. "Damn it... Beaten by a newbie Senshi."

* * *

Pluto was, meanwhile growing bored. Her foe was clearly overestimating her own power, shooting blast after blast at her, but all Pluto did was block them with her staff. "You've always been foolish."

"Shut up! You were a coward, hiding while everyone around you died."

"Someone had to stay alive to make sure no other evil would threaten mankind," Pluto said, "but you cannot call me a coward, not you, who helped Metallia turn countless humans into evil creatures."

"My youma killed a few, comparatively speaking, oh Time Senshi. Your Queen doomed entire planets just to get rid of me. And why do that, when she could have killed me?"

"Because if we killed you back then, the youma would have won. Because even if youma were defeated, the mankind which only trusted magic was doomed to vanish eventually."

"So that's your excuse, you were doing it for the greater good?"

"Call it an excuse if you want, Beryl, but it won't change your fate."

"Fool! What was my fate? To rule a small country, to become yet another footnote in Queen Serenity's reign?"

"Your fate was to rebel, to cause pain to many, and to lose."

"Fate doesn't exist, I will forge my own fate with my hands!"

Pluto looked at the large wave of darkness Beryl had shot dismissively, then did something Beryl wasn't expecting. She simply let it hit, and then started walking to the evil Queen.

"What? How can you be that strong? It's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible for us Senshi," Pluto said. "Time Disruptor."

The attack was invisible, but Beryl sure felt its effect. And so did the Generals.

* * *

Aurite had been shooting at Saturn, who kept dodging. She knew the Death Senshi didn't have a lot of energy left, so all she had to do was wait. However, she felt the ripple of energy, and felt Beryl vanish. "What in Darkness..."

Pluto appeared near her, smiling in a way which made it clear she wasn't playing anymore. "I couldn't kill her," she said, and Aurite was quite sure she meant 'wouldn't' instead, "so she's just out of time for the time being. Don't worry, I only sent her three days ahead."

The youma General paled. Seriously, Pluto was that strong? Why wasn't she fighting them herself?

Pluto seemed to know what she was thinking. "Sailor Pluto is not a warrior, but a guardian. I will fight when I see no other way to make things work for the best, but in this case... You won't win, Aurite, your Queen won't win. I admire your loyalty to her, but it may be your doom."

Aurite laughed at that. "Nice speech, time witch, but if you aren't going to fight, step back."

"I will, don't worry. Saturn is more than enough to deal with you for now." Pluto looked at Saturn. "Look at Orion."

Saturn had tried to focus in her own fight, so she was quite surprised when she saw a Dragon Senshi, and he was keeping Jadeite pinned to the ground, somehow. "That is..."

"Dragon Sun. He couldn't win with the power he had, so he became stronger." Pluto didn't need to tell her anything else, she knew Saturn would understand.

Saturn saw Aurite looking at Jadeite worriedly. "Your fight is with me, Aurite."

"Fine, I'll defeat you and then get that loser."

Saturn glared at her. "You won't. Death Bolt."

The attack shot from Saturn's glaive, hitting Aurite dead on, and knocking her to the ground. The General tried to stand up, but couldn't quite do it. "Damn you, Saturn..."

Saturn saw Dragon Sun fall to his knees, and Jadeite standing up. But Jadeite didn't attack the Dragon, he seemingly knew Saturn was the biggest threat right now. "Two against one, that's not fair."

Aurite glared at her. "And yet you kept tag-teaming me with that guy."

"I meant it's not fair for you."

Pluto smiled. Yes, Hotaru was ready now. "Indeed, it isn't."

Aurite could feel Saturn's energy rising, and she didn't like what she felt. "Darkness, she's about to..."

"Saturn Twilight Power."

The change was fast, and her suit didn't change a lot. Her gloves became longer, and so did her bows, and her skirt got a golden lining. But those who could sense magic knew the change was much more than a fashion update. Jadeite and Aurite were both thinking the same, it would be quite hard to defeat her.

"Begone, youma. Grim..." Saturn spun, rising her glaive, and a dark sphere of energy formed above her. The sphere descended, fusing with the glaive, and tendrils of energy shot down around Saturn. She suddenly stopped, her glaive still up high, and then made a sideways swipe with it, unleashing a paper-thin, wide wave of death energy. "... Wave!"

Pluto didn't move, the attack would not be enough to even tickle. But the two youma were knocked back several meters, and didn't stand up. She walked calmly to the two and stared at them in turns. "My allies are going to join the others from now on," she heard gasps behind her, and realized she hadn't told them that yet, "so if you know what's good for you, you'll return to Japan. If you stay here and try draining anyone, Saturn and Dragon Sun won't be here," she let the two Generals consider that choice, then added, "but I will."

Aurite glared at Pluto, but knew it was pointless to argue. "Fine then, next time I face them, I will be ready."

Pluto smiled as the two youma vanished. "I doubt it."

Saturn came walking to Pluto (visibly exhausted) and stared at her. "Setsuna, did I just heard what I thought I heard?"

"Yes. The Tokyo group is close to gathering all the shards of the Ginzuishou. The Princess will appear soon, and some very strong enemies will show up. You will be needed there."

Dragon Sun crawled to them, his suit replaced by that of Orion, since he couldn't hold his form any longer. "I know you could just snap your fingers and send us there, but... Hotaru and I need to talk about something before that."

"I know. Take your time, as long as you don't take a whole week."

Saturn looked at Orion as Pluto vanished. "Okay, then..."

"Let's go back home, and we'll talk there," Orion said. "Teleport."

* * *

Hotaru looked at Kage. "So, was my guess right?"

"I don't know. What did you guess?"

Hotaru thought about it for a second, then smiled. "You like me?"

Kage smiled at her. "Yes. Not just as a friend. I'll understand if you don't-"

"I'm... Not quite sure. I like you, but I-"

"Don't worry, I know how hard that is for you. I was planning to tell you how I felt once the youma were defeated, but... To be honest, I feel much better now that I could tell you how I feel."

Hotaru smiled again. "I'll say it again, you're a bad influence for me, Kage. I like you."

"Only as a friend?"

And Hotaru did something Kage had never seen her do yet. She blushed. "No."

* * *

**A/N: **See, youma can be cunning strategists too. And still fail in a relatively pathetic way.

As for Kage and Hotaru, I had that planned from the start, and I have other twists planned for them both (and other couples which may or may not appear later on) which weren't in the previous version of the story. Some fans will be amused/surprised by what I'm planning to do with Usagi and Mamoru... And other fans will promptly grab their pitchforks and torchs once I start that one romantic sub-plot.

And yeah, Saturn's the first to truly 'level up.' And you thought I was out of surprises...


	20. Ice and poison

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 20: Ice and poison.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 7, 2013_

* * *

He had to admit that, the more he knew about magic, the more he was amazed at what could be done with it. Terry stared at the three girls, not hiding his amusement. "The real question is, do you know how to use them?"

Emi, Aki and Maria were all standing around him, each with two energy swords, all made of different elements. Aki smiled and her flame sword grew longer for a few seconds "We've trained with some of the best swordsmen in the world."

"Well, I was trained by Kyo Hakko."

"Hakko, that's Sagitta's-" Maria stopped as she noticed the other two staring at her. "Oops."

"Hakko has a sister, Ryoko Hakko," Terry said. "I assume that's Sagitta."

"Prime Huntress Sagitta, head of the U.S. Hunters branch," Maria noted. "And from what I saw of her, much stronger than Hera and Nemea, the two leaders of the South America branch."

Emi noticed Terry was staring at Maria. "What's wrong?"

"I keep forgetting where she's from. Her Japanese is better than mine."

"I've been here since I was eight," Maria explained, "Mom said I had potential, and that I should be training under one of the three strongest Hunters."

"So, who is she, Hera or Nemea?"

"How did you know it was one of them?"

"I didn't, it was just an educated guess. But I do now."

"Where are your girlfriends?" Aki asked, then noticed Terry's face. "Uh, sorry, I didn't-"

Terry shook his head. "Nevermind, but I would really appreciate if you stop joking about that."

Aki nodded. "Anyhow, where are they?"

"Ami is helping Usagi study, and Rei's still busy helping her grandfather fix the shrine."

"And Kino?"

"No idea." Terry put his swords back in their place, and noticed the girls were looking around the room they were in, where his collection of weapons was. "Like what you see?"

"Yeah, there's enough stuff here to take over my country," Maria commented, then added. "Not that it would be a feat to boast about, anyhow." She stopped walking and examined a long knife. "This looks like a facon."

"It is," Terry said, knowing what she meant. A facon was a sort of long knife from South America. He had weapons from all around the world in that room. "I'm always looking to expand my collection, too."

"Most of these are melee weapons," Emi noticed. "Didn't you train for ranged combat?"

"I did, but my aim sucks," Terry admitted. "That's why I'm not using shuriken to kill youma."

"We saw you using some kind of smoke bombs before."

"That name's not too far from what they are. It's a mix of gases and other things. It could knock a normal human out in less than five seconds, and confuses Generals long enough for me to close in to attack."

"Neat, was that an invention of your father's company?"

"No, I invent stuff in my free time."

"You're kidding."

"My father's a robotics expert, my mother was second only to him. It's all genetics' fault, I guess."

"You know, you're not that bad a guy after all," Maria commented. "A bit crazy, but-"

"I have money, so I'm not crazy, just eccentric."

* * *

Yukiko had mixed feelings about how things had worked out for her. She had been able to see the Senshi a few times, but she still had no clue of who they could be. If they were like magical girls from manga, then they would all be friends, and usually live in the same neighbourhood. But this wasn't some fiction story, it was real life, and thus the same rules would not apply. Or would they?

She went through the data she had. They looked young, possibly in their teen years. They were mostly seen in Juuban, and the day the school had been attacked, they had appeared quite quickly. That could mean they were studying there. Still, that didn't give her a lot to work with.

"Maybe I'm looking at this wrong." Yes, there were some reports of several allies to the Senshi. Maybe she could track one of them, instead. Yes, that could work, and even if it didn't, it was worth a try. "Now let's see... Swords, gas bombs, a suit which seems to resist magic... And an airboard." Was he a mage, or just a normal guy with a lot of toys? "If those things are technological, then money and knowledge are both required to build them. Yukiko realized she knew someone who fit that pattern, however, she didn't think he would just admit to being Zero. "Seems like I'll have to plan this better."

Suddenly, she looked up and gasped. No, she had not imagined it, a white-haired woman had appeared out of nowhere, inside her bedroom, and was looking at her like a wolf looks at a sheep. She knew the kind of outfit she was wearing, the same she had seen some of the Senshi's enemies use. "Oh crap."

"You have something I want," Luminite said before zapping the girl.

* * *

Mako had been walking for a while, but she had no destination in mind. She had been a Senshi for a short time, but knew enough about what was happening to realize they were all biting more than they could chew. She suddenly realized she was quite close to a dojo she had heard about years ago, in her old school, and decided to give it a try. Her self-taught fighting style was good, but perhaps training in a dojo would help her improve.

As she reached the dojo, however, she sighed in defeat. It was closed, and looked like nobody had used it for months. That meant she would have to find another place to train. "Or maybe this will be a good place, after all," she mused as she realized something. Terry had said he would search for a place for them to train, but he didn't seem to be having a lot of luck with that. This place might be for sale, and would require only a bit of fixing before they could use it to train.

However, something caused her to steer her mind off that subject. A flash of light, two blocks away from where she was. She could bet her powers on it being one of those youma freaks. As she walked to the source, she saw a large, cyan-furred creature break out of a building, with Luminite right behind it. "I hate to be right, sometimes," Mako muttered. She hid behind a car and summoned her communicator. "Jupiter here. I'm seeing Luminite with a huge, furry cyan ape. It's either her boyfriend, or she found another Rainbow Youma."

"We're quite far from there right now," Usagi's voice said from the artifact.

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Ami added.

"Same here," Rei said.

Luna's face appeared on the comm. "Terry's at his mansion with the three Huntresses. I'll tell them about it."

"You should give him a communicator," Usagi noted.

"Those are only for Sen-"

"He's our ally, our friend, and we should be able to contact him in an emergency just like we contact each other. If you can give him one, please do."

"Fine, I'll do that," Luna said.

Mako checked the situation. The youma was wrecking cars, while Luminite just waited. They should have left while they could. "Jupiter Planet Power!"

* * *

Terry saw Samuel walking in, followed by a certain black cat, and smiled. "Is that your new pet?"

Samuel rolled his eyes at the teenager. "She _told me _she needed to speak with you. I assume it has to do with your part-time job."

Luna saw the man go and was mildly amused by his reaction thus far. "He didn't even blink when I spoke to him."

"My girlfriend moved things with her mind, and my father built all kind of strange machines in our basement. I don't think a talking cat would look strange to him."

Luna shrugged. "Anyhow, I came here for two things. First off, a new Rainbow Youma appeared, Jupiter is along against it. And second..." She jumped up and did a backflip in the air, and a small, black communicator appeared floating there.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Terry asked, staring at the floating artifact.

"Dimensional storage," Emi guessed.

"That's right. Terry, that's yours. I wasn't sure about giving you one, but Usagi made a lot of good points when I told her that."

"She has her moments," Terry mused, looking at the artifact. "Hmm... Interesting piece of technology."

"Dissect it later, Mako needs help," Luna said with a frown.

"I know, kitty. Fortunately, I have three human taxis here."

"Human taxis?" Aki growled at him. "Don't make me zap you."

"Right. Someone other than Makai could take me there, then?"

Maria smiled. "I'll do it."

* * *

Jupiter had tried her favorite approach for this fight, but the large creature didn't only shrug her punches off, it also had shown her it was strong enough to send her flying away. So, it was time to try a different method. "Supreme Thunder!"

The youma didn't seem to notice the blast. It had apparently grown bored of her, since it started smashing a car down.

Luminite shook her head. "Not the smartest of the bunch. Yajinko, take care of that Senshi." The creature growled at her, and she frowned. "I don't care if you think she's too weak. Go get her."

Too weak? Jupiter was about ready to give that ugly creature a lesson... But first she had to take care of the Rainbow Youma. "Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

This time, the youma was knocked down to the ground, and stood up with a loud growl. The good thing was, it now considered Jupiter worth fighting. The bad thing was, Jupiter was almost out of energy.

"Dark Core!"

Jupiter smiled. "Good, I was starting to think I would get all the fun."

"Moon Tiara Flight!"

Luminite staggered up after the tiara hit both her and the youma a few times. "Damn it, not again."

Moon looked at the new youma. "What is that thing?"

"A Yeti," Mercury explained. Which meant her attacks would be most likely useless against it. She noticed Moon reaching for her tiara again and gasped. "Moon, wait!"

"Haven't you noticed?" Moon asked, surprised. "The more I use these attacks, the less they tire me."

Mercury was quite surprised. Not so much about Moon figuring that out, but about not having figured it out before she did. "I... Yes, you're right."

"Fire Soul Bird!"

"Flare!"

"Ember!"

"Flame Whip!"

The rest of the group was there, and Zero noticed Mars' bird was doing quite a bit of damage. Still... "Say boom."

Jupiter stared at the scene in awe. Whatever was inside those spheres Zero threw was, apparently, very explosive, and as soon as the gas was released and took the heat from Mars' fire bird, it exploded rather violently. Even though the fire construct was gone, the Yeti and Luminite were both down for the count.

"We did it."

Jupiter smiled at Moon's words, but frowned. "Unfortunately, they got the shard."

The Yeti had turned back to normal, and Moon walked to the victim. "Wow, it's Hokuge."

Yukiko staggered up right then, staring suspiciously at Moon. "How do you know my name?"

"We Senshi know everything," Moon said. Hey, it had worked in the past.

"That's your excuse," Yukiko muttered. "I've wanted to meet you guys for a while."

"Great, a fangirl," Jupiter said.

Moon sighed. "You'll have to excuse Jupiter, we're all tired from this battle."

"I've heard a lot of things about you. That you help those monsters, that this is all fake... But now I know the truth. You saved me after I was attacked by that evil woman. I just wish I could meet you, your real selves, but I suppose that's not possible."

"You suppose right," Zero said, "we must keep our identities secret, not just for us. Those creatures could attack our families."

"I understand."

"Someday, we may be able to tell the world who we are," Moon said, "but-"

"Oh isn't this nice? It was right under our noses!"

Moon turned to glare at Nephrite. "I was wondering where you were."

"Searching for the last carrier. But when I was heading to where he was, he somehow vanished... And I sensed him here, where the other carrier would be." Nephrite was staring at Zero. "To think that the strongest Rainbow Youma would be here, I really didn't expect that."

Zero realized what the guy meant. "Damn, it's in me?"

Nephrite smiled and phased right behind Zero, who wasn't expecting that. However, someone else had guessed Nephrite's intent. "Shabon Spray Freezing!"

Zero looked at Mercury. "Thanks."

Nephrite looked at the Senshi and smiled. They were all looking at him, waiting for his next move, but he didn't need to move a muscle.

Moon heard a gasp, and saw Zero fall down to the ground. "Luminite."

Mercury saw a violet shard float up from Zero's body, and grabbed it. "Sorry, but you're not getting this one."

Nemesis glared at the two Generals. "I'm really sick of this, you guys turn innocents into monsters, and force us to fight them. Even if it's you, Nephrite, I will not forgive you. Nemesis Shadow..." Nemesis' hands were wrapped in darkness, and she hit the ground with them. "Core!"

A large ball of dark energy shot forwards, inches above the ground, and hit Luminite, then corrected its course and hit Nephrite. The two Generals were still conscious, but they both knew they were lucky to be alive after that. "Damn you, Nemesis," Luminite snapped.

"It's pointless, we don't need to fight them," Nephrite said.

"True," Luminite agreed before they both fell unconscious.

"Hey, what the hell is that?"

Moon realized two things. One, that Yukiko was still there. And two, that Zero had transformed into a huge violet-scaled dragon. "Zero, no..."

"Girl, it's dangerous to be here. Leave!"

"But..." Yukiko started as Mars walked to her.

"That thing could kill you in one shot, so please get out of the area," Moon explained.

Yukiko nodded. "I understand. Good luck!"

Mars saw Yukiko dashing away, and turned to Moon. "Wait, where are the sidekicks?"

"Stop calling us that," Calisto snapped as the trio appeared near them. "We were talking to our bosses, and there's good news, reinforcements are on their way."

"We may need help," Mercury admitted, "even a few more Demon Hunters would-"

The dragon was seemingly not too fond of waiting, as it screeched, opening its mouth to attack. The Senshi were expecting fire to come out of its mouth, but instead, a thick, green mist shot out, covering the area.

Mars fell to one knee, and saw the others were also affected by it. "What is this?" she managed to ask between coughs.

"This gas is poisonous, we have to move before..." Mercury stopped as she realized something. Everyone else was down, and they were obviously in pain. Moon was the only other Senshi still standing. "... Oh no, it's already too late."

"Don't say that!" Moon said. "We can save them!"

"But we can't hurt him. Zero... Terry is in there!"

Moon looked at her friend. She could guess what was going on. "We may have to hurt him to bring him back. If we don't defeat this creature, we won't be able to save everyone... Are you okay with that? Don't you have something you want to tell him?"

Mercury's eyes widened. What was Moon talking about, something she wanted to tell him? That was... No, she couldn't lie to herself, even if she still couldn't tell him. "I suppose you're right. Shabon Spray Freezing!"

The attack hit the dragon, but it didn't seem too affected by it. Moon looked at it. It wasn't attacking them, even though the poison mist was slowly vanishing. Why was that? She realized something, the dragon was looking at Mercury. Maybe Terry was still somewhat in control? She decided to figure that out later. "Here goes nothing. Moon Tiara Flight!"

The dragon was knocked down after a dozen hits. Mercury smiled, but saw Moon was lying on the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Something I just learnt, don't try to force your attacks out when you know you're out of energy," Moon said and winced.

Moon had weakened it, and Mercury knew her friends were already staggering up, but she also doubted any of them had energy to shoot again. "I'm better at thinking than fighting, but I still won't give up. Shabon Spray Freezing!" The attack hit the dragon, who was trying to stand up, and knocked it down again. However, it didn't stay down, and Mercury sighed. "Still not enough..."

"Then leave it to us."

Mercury turned and saw three figures standing on a nearby rooftop. "Who are you?"

* * *

**A/N:** I suppose I could say this fight will _drag on _to the next chapter.


	21. Dragon's bite

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 21: Dragon's bite.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 13, 2013_

* * *

"Still not enough..."

"Then leave it to us."

Mercury turned and saw three figures standing on a nearby rooftop. "Who are you?"

The figures didn't answer, but two of them leapt off the rooftop, landing besides Mercury and Moon. She could see it now, they were Senshi, and she was sure she knew one of them.

"Sailor V?" Moon said, her eyes wide as she realized who the girl was.

"I used that name before, but I'm Sailor Venus."

"Leave the socials for later," the man said. Mercury looked at him. His suit was strange, similar to the Hunters' ones, but still...

The dragon let out a howl and glared at the two newcomers. Venus looked up at it and smiled. "You know how the saying goes, 'howling dragons seldom bite.'"

"That's not how..." The man started, then shrugged. "Nevermind. Show that lizard what you can do."

"Was about to. Crescent Beam... Shower!"

The dragon was knocked down, but was not giving up. It tried to stand up, but couldn't, so it just started crawling on all four. "Gee, a stubborn one, isn't he?" the man said. "Prismatic Flare."

The attack was quite a sight to behold. Waves of fire, ice, electricity and wind hit the dragon from all sides, and it didn't stand up after that. "We did it!" Venus said and gave a V sign.

_"These girls weakened it a lot, we just gave the last blow,"_ the man said in English.

_"I know, but still..."_

_"Thanks for the help,"_ Mercury said in English.

The man blinked at that, then laughed. "You're welcome."

Nephrite and Luminite appeared near them, noticed the new Senshi, and knew they had to make a strategic retreat. "We'll leave you alone for now, but next time..."

"Save the gloating, your pal Kunzite also got his ass kicked by us each time he gloated like that."

Luminite looked at the two orbs of light. The last two Rainbow Youma. "Stupid kids. We have all the Rainbow Youma, and once they recover, the ultimate youma will awaken."

As the two Generals left, Circe came walking to the newcomers, staring at the man. "I know who you are, but your suit is all wrong."

Calisto gasped. "Wait, she's Venus, so that's... Sigma?"

"It's Dragon Venus now," the man said.

"Dragon Venus?" Moon asked, "so you're a Dragon Senshi?"

Luna had been watching the fight from a safe distance, but now that it had ended, she decided to check on the newcomers. "He is, I can sense that. But if you're Venus Senshi, then..."

The white Mooncat was walking towards them. "Luna? Is that really you?"

Shade walked calmly to the group as Luna tackled Artemis down playfully. "So he was also alive..."

Moon looked at Luna, who was talking to the white Mooncat, and smiled. She had never seen Luna look so happy before.

"Wait, I thought you were in England? Did you defeat the youma there?"

"We should move to a more private location," Dragon Venus said.

"We could go to the mansion," Zero suggested.

"We would take you there, but we're quite beaten up," Mira said.

"Are you talking about the Zephyr mansion?" Dragon Venus asked.

"You know the place?" Zero asked.

"Aries told me about you."

Venus looked at him. "Huh? You already know who they are?"

"Yeah."

"And you didn't tell me because...?"

"You didn't ask."

_"Ass."_

Zero smiled. "I see you two get along."

Venus looked at Dragon Venus and blushed slightly. "You could say that."

Dragon Venus looked around. "Okay, I'm sure these three showed you how a newbie teleports more than two persons already. Now you'll see how it should be done. Mass Teleport!"

* * *

As they appeared in the mansion, Moon blinked. "Huh? It was the same spell they used, what's so special about it?"

Mars was staring at the Dragon. "Moon, he did it on his own."

"... Oh. So he's much stronger than the others?"

"It's not so strange," Mira said, "he's the son of one of the Primes."

"And so are you, Emi. Don't underestimate yourself."

"We should change back to normal," Jupiter suggested. "And Terry, I have something I want to show you."

"And what would that be?" Mars asked slyly.

"Nothing like that. I just think I found the perfect place for our base."

After they transformed, Minako smiled as the other girls looked at her. "My name's Minako Aino, it's nice to finally meet the Tokyo Senshi."

Usagi smiled back. "I'm Usagi Tsukino, and I'm... Supposedly I'm the leader of this group. It's awesome that Sailor V herself is one of us!"

Minako giggled. "I heard I was quite famous here, even after Sailor Moon showed up."

The others all introduced themselves, and Terry smiled as he looked at his watch. "Seems my theory was right."

"What theory?" Brad asked.

"This watch can scan magic energy, mana as the cats call it, and with Minako here, my readings on all the others are higher."

"We are stronger when we fight as a group," Ami explained, "or at least that's our guess."

"Interesting," Brad said, "mom never mentioned that."

Shade looked out the window for a moment, then turned to the group. "There's something the Generals said that's been worrying me. They've gathered all the Rainbow Youma, but we have yet to get all the pieces of the Ginzuishou."

"We just have to get the ones they have, and the one Tuxedo Kamen has," Naru said.

"There's one more thing," Shade said, "the Rainbow Youma, much like the Ginzuishou, can fuse."

_"Oh shit."_

Luna looked at Terry. "Do you understand what that means, guys? They can become something else, something at least as strong as the seven of them combined. And we've hardly managed to defeat them one at a time."

Usagi groaned at that. "That's just great. They're always one step ahead."

"Not in every aspect," Luna noted. "While you were chatting, we three remembered something else. It's weird that I didn't realize this before, but the Princess was actually the Moon Princess. And each Princess was also a Senshi."

Ami was the first to figure out what that meant, and everyone stared at Usagi. "Guys, why are you looking at me-" it finally hit her, and her eyes widened. "Me? I am-"

"The Princess," Artemis said. "If we get all the pieces of the Ginzuishou, then you will be able to reforge it."

"I can't believe it, how can I be-"

Rei sighed in frustration. "Usagi, I know this will sound weird coming from me, but stop underestimating yourself!"

"Rei..."

"Think about it, Usagi. You may be lazy and selfish, but not when it counts."

"But I'm always scared of fighting those monsters."

"We all are," Terry said. "You think I'm not scared? Or Rei, or Mako? I said it before, what Hakko told me, being brave is not about having no fears, but about facing them head on."

Brad nodded at that. "A man who fears nothing isn't brave, just foolish."

"Still, I have no idea how I could fix that crystal."

"I would guess that you will know, once we gather them. That's how it works in manga," Minako said.

The three Huntresses had been silently listening to the others, but Emi decided to speak up. "I... We've been keeping some info that I realize we should have shared with you."

"If it's important, you should tell us."

"The legends our clan has speak of the ancient Moon Queen, and that she defeated and banished the youma, and also broke the Ginzuishou in seven shards. The Queen was very powerful, and only she could do that, but reforming the crystal would be easier. The Moon Princess should be able to do it."

"It's all wild guessing," Terry said, "but wild guessing brought me here to Juuban and got me to meet the Senshi, so I know it can work."

"So, what do we do now?" Rei asked.

"Now we wait," Luna said, "the youma want the shards we have, they will come to get them. We may be able to recover the ones they have."

"And what about the one Tuxedo Kamen has?" Usagi asked.

"If he doesn't want to give it to us, we'll have to take it by force."

Usagi looked at Terry. "We can't-"

"_You_ can't do it, Usagi, but I'm not asking for your permission. If getting that shard is the only way to destroy the youma, then we have to get it."

"Terry..."

"Dont' worry, I won't hurt him too much, if it comes to that," Terry said with a smile.

"Actually, I don't want you to get hurt."

"Thanks. And you know, he doesn't fit the villain type. We may be able to convince him."

* * *

Beryl appeared in her throne room, and saw her Generals were all waiting. "What in darkness just happened?"

Jadeite bowed to the queen. "Pluto sent you forwards in time, three days. While you were away, we managed to get the last two Rainbow Youma, and have been planning."

"Planning? It's quite simple, now that we don't need to worry about separating our forces in three fronts. Go to Tokyo, lure the Senshi into a trap, and either kill them or get their shards. Or both, if you can."

"Should we wait until the Rainbow Youma are ready?"

"No. My girls will take care of them for the time being."

"Understood. We'll recover those shards, so that our goddess can finally awaken," Kunzite said.

Aurite was not as sure as the others. For some reason, Pluto's words had been bothering. Was the Dark Kingdom destined to fail? And would she want to be around to fall along with it? She was starting to consider another options, but thus far there were none.

She wanted her Goddess to awaken and destroy the Senshi, but Aurite had never been someone who would, as the human saying went, put all of her eggs in one basket.

* * *

"So, what do you think?"

Terry looked at the building. "It's a bit run down, but it will look great once I'm done."

"I don't think we can go throwing blasts at each other in there," Minako noted. The Senshi had all decided to tag along, to look at their would-be base.

"Trust me, nobody will notice we're in there."

"Think we could buy this place?"

"There's no 'we' there," Terry mused, "I'll have to tell my father about it, but I don't think he will have a problem with that. And buying it will be cheap, compared to what I have planned afterwards."

"I think I know what you're planning," Brad noted. "But it'll take months."

"Unfortunately, yes, and there's no way around it, unless we find a Senshi who controls time."

A figure watched as the group of teenagers left the area, still chatting. "Interesting, so these are the Senshi." It had been a lucky coincidence, she had been searching for a place in which she could set a trap for the Senshi, and instead had found out who they were. She would have to use that information wisely. She could tell the other Generals, but why share the glory? And also, she could attack them while they were in their civilian forms, one by one. And she knew where to begin, but she would have to research a bit first.

* * *

Ami had been quite surprised by the request, but agreed to it anyhow. As they walked into one of the mansion's many rooms, she saw a computer was set up there. "I still don't understand what you're planning."

Terry smiled. "I want to make a few tests of that magic of yours, to see if it could be manipulated with technology."

"So, you want me to be a test subject."

He shook his head. "If I wanted a lab rat, I would have asked Rei or Usagi to come. You're smarter than me, and I'm not afraid to admit it, so you may be able to figure out things I may not see."

Ami blushed slightly. "Okay, I suppose I should transform?"

Terry's Zero armor formed, but leaving his head unprotected. "Go ahead."

"Mercury Planet Power!" Mercury looked at Terry. "What's next?"

A small cube of Zero appeared in his hand. "Shoot at this thing."

"Shabon Spray!"

Terry looked at the cube, which took on a bluish hue, then at the computer. "As I suspected, it can absorb some of the mana. If I could make the Zero manipulate mana, then-"

"Wait," Mercury interrupted, "are you saying you want your armor to be able to use mana?"

"No, not my armor, I'm not a magician so it would have no mana source. But for you girls..."

"You could create artifacts which would use our magic to work?"

"It's worth a try, I want to understand how magic works, and if I can help you along the way, then everyone wins."

Mercury smiled at that. "Sounds good. I'll help you."

"Thanks," Terry said, then stared at Ami. This would be the perfect chance to tell her something else, but he just couldn't do it, he still hadn't healed enough.

"Terry, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just-" He froze for a split second and then glared at something past Mercury. "You!"

Luminite stood there, smiling coldly at them. "It's good to see your real face before I finish you, Zero."

Mercury frowned. "You know who we are?"

"I have my sources," Luminite said, "I was planning on taking you all down one by one. Tsukino, Mizuno, Hino, Osaka... But I suppose I can take on two of you."

"You couldn't even defeat _me _alone," Zero snapped.

"Who said I'm alone?" Luminite said, and a half dozen youma appeared around her.

Mercury had a hand behind her back, and summoned her communicator, swiftly pressing a button in it before making it vanish again. They had seldom used that emergency button before, but they all knew what it was. She just hoped they could resist until help arrived.

Zero knew it would be quite unlikely to win this without reinforcements. However, close quarters gave him and Mercury the advantage. "Mercury, get ready to use your attack."

Luminite frowned. What was the guy planning? As she saw him toss a couple dozen metal spheres in her direction, she suddenly knew whatever it was, it would stink.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

The foul gas released by the spheres turned a sickly cyan color as its temperature was suddenly lowered several degrees. Luminite and her youma were caught in the cloud, and that gave Zero a chance to attack. "Gotcha!"

The General looked around as the cloud vanished, and frowned. That Zero kid had managed to kill two youma with that trick, but that wasn't going to help them win. Even if all her youma were killed, she still had another trick under her sleeve. "What are you standing around for?" she asked the remaining youma, her voice close to a growl. "Kill them!"

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!" The lightning construct tore two more youma to pieces, and by the time it vanished, Mercury and Zero were done dealing with the other two. That left only Luminite to take care of. "Damn, I forgot the ugliest one."

Luminite laughed as she finally called upon her hidden surprise. The power of two shards of the Ginzuishou was more than enough to take care of two Senshi and a moron, and she would be done with them before the others could get there. "From your face, dear Mercury, I assume you can see how much stronger I am now."

Mercury had her visor down, and turned to look at Zero. "She's using the shards. We can't beat her!"

"Don't give up yet," Jupiter said. "Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

Luminite blasted the dragon apart and smiled. "If that's all you can do..."

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

Luminite looked straight at Mercury. "I can still see you."

"But not me."

The General felt a stab through the stomach, and gasped. True, she couldn't sense the ninja, and that had been Mercury's plan all along. However, she walked forwards, sliding out of the sword, and smiled. "I heal faster, too."

Zero dodged the blast and saw his foe's wound was already closing. Even though he didn't want to admit it, Mercury was right. Perhaps, if there were more Senshi, then one of them could... More Senshi? He looked at one of his swords and smiled. "You know, bitch, you come wreck my house, and you attack my friends. That alone is more than enough to make me want to rip you to pieces."

"Blah blah blah... You can't beat me, Zero."

The ninja nodded. "I agree, as Zero, I can't. But I guess I have a surprise for you. Mercury Dragon Power!"

Mercury watched in shock as Zero transformed. Luna had told them the swords chose their users, and it seemed Terry had been chosen. "Terry..."

"He'll be fine," Jupiter said. "But a little help won't hurt. Jupiter Thunder Dragon!"

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

The Dragon had finished transforming, his suit was just like the other Dragons', but with blue as his color. "Icycle..." He sliced the air with his sword, leaving several droplets of water, which froze and grew rapidly, becoming small, dagger-like shards of ice. "... Spray!" As he shouted that, the shards all shot straight at Luminite, along with the other two attacks.

Luminite knelt on the ground, panting heavily. It wasn't good, they could still hurt her? But how, their attacks had tickled her before! She realized something right then. She couldn't sense any of them through the mist. "What in Darkness..."

Mercury smiled, as she knew what Luminite was cursing about. "Two can play the same game, youma. Just as you can use those shards, so can we. And as Senshi, we can use them much better than you could dream of."

Luminite growled and stood up, charging in the direction she thought Mercury's voice was coming from. She had been quite right, but that was not, actually, a good thing. "Die, Mercury!"

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

The ice shot hit Luminite dead on, and she was sent flying back. She felt a sharp pain and looked down to see two swords sticking out of her chest. "This isn't over, kid."

"It is," Dragon Mercury said, coldly. "Icycle Spray!"

And Luminite was sent flying forwards, hitting the ground hard. She tried to stand up, but could only cough blood. "Damn it, it can't end like this..."

Dragon Mercury walked up to where the General was, noticing she was in no shape to fight, or even teleport away. "Finally, now Hana can rest in peace."

Luminite laughed despite the pain. "Fool. Killing me won't do a thing, the Dark Kingdom will..."

"When I came here, it was just to kill you. But now I know better."

"You will lose."

The guy gave her a cold smile. "Not like it matters to you."

Mercury saw the General's body slowly vanishing, and then saw the Dragon's face as he stared at the spot where she had been. "Terry..."

The Dragon turned to look at her, his face showing he was struggling to keep his cool. "I need to be alone."

Jupiter noticed Mercury's hands were clenched into fists as she watched the Dragon leave the room. "Ami, go with him."

"What?"

"I'm not quite sure he meant what he said. He needs a friend right now. I'll wait for the others and tell them what happened."

Mercury stared at Jupiter for a few seconds before chuckling. "Does everyone know what I-"

Jupiter smiled at her. "I think even Minako noticed already. Now go, I'm sure he'll be glad." She saw Mercury walking out, and smiled. "You know, Luna, you're terrible at hiding."

Luna walked out from under a table and looked up at Jupiter. "You knew I was here?"

Jupiter nodded. "Think he'll be fine?"

"The kind of wounds he's got, they take time to heal. He may make a fool of himself at times, but that's just his... Shield."

"Damn, what happened in here?"

Jupiter saw Moon and Mars rush in, and smiled. "You're late. Before you ask, Luminite attacked the mansion. Terry somehow turned into Dragon Mercury and with a bit of help, got rid of her."

"What, she escaped again?" Mars asked, then saw Jupiter's face. "Oh. Where is he?"

"He was in a quite weird mood, so I sent Ami to cheer him up."

"We should-"

Moon shook her head. "Rei, let them be. We'll talk to him when he comes back."

* * *

When Ami found Terry, she saw he was not in a good mood. "Terry, are you okay?"

"Do I look okay?" He said coldly as he turned to look at her. He saw the pained look in her face, and sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"I can't imagine what you must be feeling right now, but remember, we're all here for you."

"I know," Terry looked at a framed picture in the opposite wall of the room, and smiled. "At least I've done what I came here for."

That caused Ami to frown. "Wait, are you leaving?"

"Of course not. I'm a Senshi, after all. Even if I wasn't one, I still want the Dark Kingdom to be dealt with." He looked at Ami for a few seconds, then sighed. He had thought about telling her something today, but now he wasn't so sure. He needed to give things a lot of thought. "And what guy in his right mind would leave when there's a whole bunch of pretty girls around him all the time?"

Ami blushed slightly at that. "Uh... I suppose that's as good a reason as any."

Terry started walking away, and turned to look at Ami. "Let's go, I'm sure by now Mako's told them what happened."

Ami smiled and followed him. She knew he was still far from good, but at least he had cheered up a bit. As they walked by the picture, Ami looked at it, and realized who it was. "Was she a nice girl?"

Terry didn't stop walking, but smiled. "She was smart, friendly, kind, and she always protected those she cared about. She was a lot like..." He caught himself short of saying the name, but from the way Ami was looking at him, he knew she didn't need to hear it.

He smiled. His story had been rather bittersweet so far, but perhaps it would have a happy ending after all.

* * *

**A/N:** I know that the Senshi knowing Moon was the Moon Princess before they gather all the shards is not how the anime's canon went, but if _that _is the first thing that seems out of place to you, you might want to give the whole story a re-read. ;)

And yes, when Beryl says "my girls" she means _those_ girls. The ones whose group was named after their bra size.

Updates may slow down again, I'm right now hooked on Digimon World 2 for Nintendo DS, a game which may get me to finally rewrite Digimon Legends, since it's re-awakened my liking of the Digimon franchise.


	22. Divide and conquer

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 22: Divide and conquer.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 18, 2013_

* * *

The group was, once again, meeting inside the mansion. Two days had passed since the last battle, and Terry had somewhat recovered.

"I must say I'm really impressed," Luna said, "you're the first Senshi to kill a General."

"Ami and Mako did most of the damage," Terry said dismissively.

Luna looked at the two. "Thanks to Luminite's attack, we now know we can defeat the Generals."

"But what after the Ginzuishou is reformed?" Usagi asked. "We won't be able to use its shards..."

"Each shard is strong, but when fused into one crystal, they become much stronger," Artemis said, "much like the Senshi, one Senshi can do a lot, but as a group you'll always be stronger. Remember what we told you, the Princess can defeat the youma easily."

Brad was looking at the table they were all sitting at. "Sorry, but I just have to ask this. Is this a replica?"

Terry smiled. "No, and dad's got proof to back that claim up."

"Awesome."

Usagi didn't understand what the two were talking about. "What's so special about it? It's just a round table."

Ami, however, could guess what Brad was saying. It was large enough to fit more than a dozen people, and it looked old enough to her. "Wait, you mean this is King Arthur's round table?"

Everyone else stared at Terry. "What?"

"I thought you said your family didn't like antiques," Rei noted.

"I used two fifty thousand years old swords to tear Luminite to shreds," Terry countered, "we don't like pointless antiques, like paintings, jewelry or stuff like that. But this table is something else."

Rei looked at Terry as he mentioned Luminite, then sighed. "My grandfather said something to me, and now I realize how right he was. We suck at stealth."

Terry nodded. "Luminite knew who I was, but said she knew about all the others. She was probably planning to attack us one by one."

"But doesn't that mean the other Generals-"

"No," Luna said, interrupting Naru, "if they all knew, then they would have attacked you by now."

"Nephrite knows who I am," Naru said.

"What?"

She looked at Shade. "He stares at me at school, I know he's followed me a few times, but I played dumb."

"But how can he know you're Nemesis? Aren't those disguises flawless?" Rei asked.

"If you tell someone who you are, the spell is broken," Artemis commented, "but also... There's things which may nullify the spell, or diminish it enough to let someone connect the dots."

"He saw through the disguise," Naru said, "but if Luna's theory is right, then he hasn't told the other Generals."

"Why wouldn't he?"

"I'm not sure. But guys, next time he shows up, I'll ask him. Maybe there's still a spark of good in him."

"What if he doesn't want to switch sides?" Usagi asked.

"If he can't be saved, then I will release him from his curse."

"Naru, you can't-"

"Usagi, don't be naive, we will probably have to kill them all before we get to their queen."

Usagi looked at Naru for a few seconds then shook her head. "I know that. But I don't have to like it."

"We're all in the same boat, Usagi," Terry said.

"That's the difference between a warrior and a murderer. Both kill, but a murderer enjoys it."

"Brad, you can sound wise when you want to," Minako said. "Too bad you never want to."

* * *

"It's good to be back home."

Kage looked at Hotaru. Despite his best efforts, she was still pretty much the same, her tone was neutral, except for the few times he had managed to make her laugh. Still, he liked that about her. "We will have to join them soon."

"I don't mind having more allies."

"I was hoping you would say 'friends.'"

"It takes a lot for me to say that, Kage. You should know it."

"In any case, let's keep an eye on them. I don't think the youma will wait too long."

* * *

Usagi was, surprisingly, getting to school in time a lot more than she used to. As she walked in, she saw a few of her friends there, and also, two new students. "Weird."

"We're getting a lot of transfers this year," Naru commented.

The pale girl noticed Terry staring at her, and walked to him. "Stop that."

"Sorry, I can't help staring at cute girls."

"Hotaru, don't mind him. As long as he looks but doesn't touch, that is."

Terry turned to look at the new guy, and smiled. "Is she your girlfriend?"

"You could call her that," Kage noted, "although Hotaru is a bit hard to read at times."

"That's a trait, not a flaw," Hotaru said.

Usagi was quite puzzled by this girl. She spoke in a monotone, almost robotic tone, and it was impossible to tell if she was angry, happy, or if she even felt anything right now. There was something else about that girl which made her uncomfortable, but she couldn't quite tell what it was.

As the two new students went back to their seats, Terry smiled at his friend. "You're awfully silent today, _Rabbit_."

She gave Terry a short, half-hearted glare. "I've just been doing a lot of thinking, about our 'job.' Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just disappointed. Dealing with that creep didn't bring Hana back."

"You weren't really expecting..."

"A part of me was, and I realized that after the deed was done. That's what I'm disappointed about."

"As long as you remember her, she'll be alive, in you."

Terry sighed as he heard that. "What if I forget her, then, if I decide to move on and fall in love again..."

"It's not like I'm an expert in romance," Usagi said, "but I don't think you will forget her, if you don't want to."

"Uh, I suppose you're right."

"And I don't think she would like seeing you hold back on your feelings."

Terry let out a long, theatrical sigh. "After this whole Dark Kingdom mess is over, I'll tell her."

"What if-" Usagi started, then shook her head. "No, we will win."

"You defeated a mighty, awesome dragon, so yeah."

Usagi giggled at that. "Maybe I can beat up a silly ice dragon and knock him back to his senses."

"Eh, thought you didn't like to fight."

"I don't, but I will do it if I must."

And that, Terry thought, sounded quite like a princess.

* * *

"This war will end soon. We will be able to revive our goddess in due time, but we must make sure the Senshi can't awaken their princess. You must go and get the remaining shards."

Kunzite bowed and then looked around. "We lost a General, Luminite knew her plan could go wrong, but still tried. My spies told me she knew who the Senshi were, their civilian names, but chose not to share that knowledge with us."

Beryl wasn't happy to hear that, and her tone reflected her thoughts. "One of my trusted Generals, acting on her own like that, hiding information which could have won this war to herself? I thought I could trust those around me, but now I know better. If I hear of any of you behaving in a suspicious way, I will deal with you myself."

Aurite stepped forwards. "I am sure Luminite's actions were due to her character, she was always trying to prove herself as better than the other Generals. There was no betrayal there, just lack of foresight."

"I see... You may be right, Aurite. And her death, whichever the cause, won't matter once we defeat the Senshi."

Kunzite smiled. "I know what to do. Senshi are stronger when fighting together, so each of us will attack a different part of their city. They will not be able to help each other."

"And so won't we," Nephrite noted.

"That's true, but each of us can deal with a couple of those Senshi. And we can bring youma along."

"We can't waste much energy," Beryl said.

"As soon as we get there, we will drain any human in the area, and send the energy before the Senshi arrive. That will, as the human saying goes, kill two with one stone."

"I actually like that plan, for once," Beryl mused. "Bring me back those shards, and a few Senshi corpses."

* * *

Usagi picked herself off the ground and winced. "You're not a soft hitter."

Mako smiled. "I know. But you're rather good at dodging."

"It's the only thing I'm good at," Usagi said.

Terry chuckled and tossed a small disc at her. "Not really, you could use that to fight."

Mako frowned. "She wouldn't stick to close range if she did."

"No sane person would when fighting the kind of enemy we're fighting."

Naru looked at Terry. "You do it all the time."

"Exactly."

Mira appeared near them, making Minako jump in surprise. "Good, you're all here."

"Since you're wearing that, we must assume there's trouble out there," Terry said.

"Youma appeared in the city a minute ago."

"Where are they?"

"All around the city," Mira explained, "Five different areas, spread through dozens of miles."

Terry whistled at that. "Shit, they finally found their brains."

"What do you mean?"

"It's simple," Terry said, "they must have noticed that we fight better as a group. We'll have to split to face them all."

Ami frowned. "Moon, take the shards."

"But some of you may need-"

"Whoever faces you will be screwed," Terry said, "and you can come help the rest of us afterwards."

"My group will help," Mira said, "and I know from a very good source that we will have extra help."

"Good to hear, we'll need all the help we can get."

After they were done transforming, Dragon Venus smiled mischievously. "Hey Emi, I think this is the perfect time to show you a spell I've created."

"Sounds interesting, but we don't have time for-"

"When I say it's the perfect time, I mean it. Tell me where the youma are."

"Well, one of them is in Shibuya. I think it's the one called Jadeite."

Moon frowned. "I thought he had learnt his lesson last time."

Mars smiled. "It would be fun to beat him around again."

"Wisp Portal," Dragon Venus said, and Moon and Mars vanished.

"_What the fuck?_"

Mercury had her visor down by the time Terry was done asking that. "They are... In Shibuya."

Mira's eyes widened. "You can teleport others without tagging along... I read about some ancient Hunters being able to do that."

"Okay, so he can take us there," Dragon Mercury said. "Let's decide who goes where."

* * *

Moon looked around confusedly. "What happened?"

"He teleported us to Shibuya," Mars said. "Could have warned us about it."

"Shouting at him can wait, we have to take care of the youma."

Mars looked to the north. "Whoever it is, it's that way."

The two Senshi run for a couple blocks before they saw a familiar figure floating in mid-air, looking down at them almost dismissively. "Jadeite."

Jadeite looked at Moon. "I had hoped you were the one I would face."

"What's the matter, have a crush on me?"

"No, I want to kill you and your two friends for ridiculing me before."

"A pity Mercury will miss this," Mars noted.

Jadeite smiled. "I've drained all the civilians in several blocks, I'm using part of that energy myself. The Queen wants you dead, and I'm happy to comply."

Moon glared at him. "Draining so many innocents for your evil goals... I will not forgive you."

"Even with my current power, I would be foolish if I just tried to fight you on my own."

Mars sensed something and dove aside just in time to dodge an energy blast. As she turned to the source, she saw five youma there. "As if one ugly youma wasn't enough. Fire Soul Bird!"

The construct killed three of the five youma, but the other two rushed at Mars before she could summon another attack. However, a strong gust of wind knocked both youma into a building, just as a familiar figure floated to them. "Moon, Mars, take care of the ugly, I'll deal with his two underlings."

Moon nodded at Calisto, and turned to glare at Jadeite. If there was no way to end their war than killing the Generals, then she would rather be the one doing all the killing. "Moon Tiara Action!"

Jadeite smirked and caught the Tiara with his bare hand... Or at least tried to. The tiara kept going, hitting him square in the chest and knocking him off the air. "What?"

Mars turned to look at Moon, and saw she had a thin aura of light around her. "Moon, be careful."

"I can handle this, Mars."

"Yes, but it may be too much energy for you to-"

Moon looked at her right in the eyes. "Trust me."

Jadeite laughed. "I see, you kids finally figured out how to use the shards." His mocking tone hid his true feelings, however. He was awed at the power Moon was leaking out, and also knew it would take most of his energy to deal with her.

"Fire Soul Bird!"

"Ares Pyre!"

The two attacks took Jadeite out of his brooding. And he had to admit they also had hurt a bit. "Hmph, enough of you!" He shot an energy wave, knocking his three targets back. Moon and Mars only staggered back, but Calisto was knocked out by it.

"Mars, check on her."

"But-"

"I'll deal with him."

Mars nodded and went to check on Calisto as Moon prepared to attack. "She seems to be okay, but..." She trailed off as she looked at her friend again. She could have sworn she saw light wings behind her back for a second. No, that was just her mind playing tricks on her. Or was it?

Moon was staring at Jadeite, but her face was calm. "I remember when this mess started. I was scared of you, I was scared of even the weakest youma you sent. But I can't let that fear stop me from doing what's right. Moon Tiara Flight!"

Jadeite chuckled as the tiara flew at him. "Fool." He phased out of the way, but the tiara made a turn, heading his way. Jadeite kept on phasing around, all he needed now was patience, once Moon tired down, he would kill her and take the shards. His plan was perfect.

Except it was not. Someone had been looking at the battle, someone who knew he had to wait for the right time to attack. And the chance came as Jadeite phased close to his hiding spot.

Moon blinked in confusion. It had all happened too fast. Jadeite had been phasing around, but suddenly stopped and screamed in pain. The tiara had caught up with him before he could recover, and it had punched right through his chest. As Jadeite fell a good ten meters down, she could see several red roses stuck on his back. "Tuxedo Kamen..."

The man leapt off a nearby rooftop, landing besides her, as the General's body started vanishing. "I couldn't let him get those shards."

"Why, you want to get them yourself?" Mars snapped. She had dealt with the two youma while Moon took care of Jadeite, but she still had more than enough energy to beat Tuxedo up if he tried anything funny.

"As a matter of fact, I need them, but... I can't fight you for them."

"Can't or won't?"

"Both. It's strange, but something draws me to where you're fighting, something in my mind tells me I have to protect you all. And yet, I must get all the shards."

Moon stared at him. "Why do you need them?"

"I..." He looked at the girl. She seemed honestly worried about his dilemma. "I've been having the same dream almost every night, ever since you first showed up. A woman tells me I must gather all the shards of the Ginzuishou and give them to the Moon Princess, if I do I will be able to remember my past."

"Your past?"

The man frowned. "I've said too much, Sailor Moon."

She smiled. "I can help you. I'm the Moon Princess."

Tuxedo looked at her, and for a second he could see a girl wearing a royal white gown. He flinched and then shook his head. "I can't just trust your words."

"She is the Princess," Mars started, but Moon shook her head. "Moon?"

"Mars, it's fine. We just need to get the other shards."

Mars nodded, then produced her communicator. "Huh, Shade, what's..."

"Everyone, the attacks on all areas are over, except for one. Aurite is far stronger than we thought, and Kunzite's just joined her. The two Mercuries need help."

"We'll get there as soon as possible," Moon said.

"I'll help you," Tuxedo said, "if you're telling the truth, then my destiny is to protect you."

"Thanks," Moon said, and noticed Calisto was standing up. "Good timing, Calisto. We need to get somewhere, quick."

"Okay," Calisto said, "I'll get you wherever you want, but I'll be drained if I take so many passengers."

"Don't worry, we'll deal with the enemy. Know where Aurite is?"

"Yes. Mass Teleport!"

* * *

**A/N: **At least Jadeite didn't get stuck in a crystal for all eternity. I suppose that's a good thing. Except for the fact he's dead now. Oh well, can't win them all (or in Jadeite's case, can't win any of them.)

This arc is reaching its conclusion, but the real fun's only starting.


	23. General Mayhem

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 23: General Mayhem.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 20, 2013_

* * *

"There's youma in several points of the city, and the Senshi are fighting them right now."

Kino looked at Tomoe. "At least we know your scanner works."

"What's the point, if we're not going to help?" Rakurai said, her face showing she was not happy at all about their current situation.

"One step at a time, Saiko," Kino said. "Tomoe, is your daughter already in the city?"

"She is. She told me she would join the others soon, if I'm guessing right, she will join today's fight."

"Good."

"And she also said, and I quote, 'tell your army friends to stop acting like they don't know who I am.'"

Kino stared at Tomoe for a few seconds, then laughed. "I should have known. That girl's too smart for her age."

"So she was aware that we knew..." Saiko muttered. "In any case, what about the other group?"

"Hiyama told me she would deal with the youma Generals personally if things got out of control."

Saiko smiled. "That's nice, but I hope none of those kids gets hurt."

"Hotaru is with them. She can heal them if they get hurt."

Saiko looked at Tomoe. "That's besides the point. Even if I knew I could heal quickly, I would still not like getting shot."

Tomoe nodded. "I agree. I'll keep working on means to fight back those aliens. Even if they win, something tells me it will be far from over for them."

* * *

Zoicite looked at the Senshi in front of him dismissively. "Only one of you?"

"Sure, ignore the mage," Mira snapped.

Zoicite laughed "Don't worry, I have something for you too." As he said that, a half dozen youma appeared around him. "Get that kid, I'll fight Jupiter."

"So brave, six against one. Let me make that even."

Jupiter looked up and saw a man in a suit similar to Dragon Mercury's one. "Another Dragon?"

"Gravity Hold," the Dragon said, and the six youma fell flat on their faces. "I'm Dragon Sun," he said to Jupiter, his technique still keeping the youma pinned to the ground.

"Brother, stop showing off," Mira said with a smile.

"Am not, that's all I can do with my Senshi powers."

"Jupiter, save your energy for the General," Mira said, then looked at the prone youma. "Permafrost."

The Dragon rose an eyebrow as the youma were all encased in ice. "I see you kept practicing while I was away."

Zoicite glared at his foes. "I can still destroy you all."

Dragon Sun pointed a finger at him. "Ifrit's Grasp."

A large fire hand appeared around Zoicite, closing up and immobilizing him. However, the General didn't seem too impressed. "Is this supposed to hurt?"

"No," the Dragon said, "but what's about to happen will."

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

The General was knocked back, but shot a bolt of energy at the construct, destroying it before it could attack again. "You will not defeat me so easily, Jupiter!"

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

"Again with that?" Zoicite mused and phased out of the way. As he turned to gloat, however, he noticed Jupiter wasn't where he had last seen her. "Where-"

"Supreme Thunder!"

The blast came from behind, and knocked the youma straight to the lightning construct, which zapped him for several seconds. Zoicite vanished before hitting the ground, and Mira smiled. "You got him!"

"No, she didn't," Dragon Sun said. "He teleported away."

"Either way, we won," Jupiter noted. "Thanks for the help. So, is your girlfriend a Senshi too?"

Dragon Sun frowned at that. "What?"

"Mira called you 'brother,' so that means you're Kage Hiyama, the new transfer student."

"Oops," Mira said with a sigh.

"Nevermind that, we were planning to tell you who we were eventually."

"We have to help the others," Jupiter said.

Dragon Sun looked around. "Only two of the Generals are left, and... They're in one single place."

Jupiter's comm appeared, and she heard Shade's message. "Okay, we need to get there fast."

"Done. Mass Teleport."

* * *

"Crescent Beam!"

Kunzite stopped the attack with one of his own, and laughed. "You should know that doesn't work with me, V."

"Name's Venus, freak," Venus snapped.

Dragon Venus was fighting three youma near them. It wasn't easy to fight that many creatures, but he had managed to cut down two of the five Kunzite had summoned. Problem was, he was running out of energy. He would have to get rid of them fast. And he knew just how to do it. "Aqua Prism." Thin jets of water shot all around him, piercing through all the youma. Dragon Venus smiled in victory for a second, then fell to one knee. "Damn."

Venus was trying to shoot Kunzite, but was having little luck so far. "Damn it, stay put so I can shoot you."

"Likewise."

"I can help with that. Tornado."

Kunzite didn't get to see who said that, but felt the effects of the spell. Strong winds surrounded him, forming a fast-spinning twister, and Kunzite was trapped within it.

Venus smiled. "Well, he's still moving, but it's an improvement. Crescent Beam Shower!"

The barrage knocked Kunzite out of the tornado, and right into a wall. He staggered up, glaring daggers at Venus. "I'm going to-"

"Poseidon's Dance."

A few dozen water bubbles appeared all around Kunzite, and they started jumping around randomly, hitting him several times in a matter of seconds. Kunzite fell to the ground, and gave one last glare at Venus before vanishing.

Dragon Venus looked at the figure who had helped them, as she walked to them. "I mean no offense with this, but it's about damn time one of you helped."

Aries smiled. "You're welcome."

"You must be one of the Primes," Venus said.

"I'm Prime Huntress Aries," the woman said.

"Your attacks are much stronger than mine," Venus noted.

"But you had been shooting attacks at him for minutes, and used one very strong attack to defeat him, yet you seem to have enough energy to keep shooting for a while."

"So?"

Dragon Venus chuckled. "I explained that to you before, Minako. Aries here wouldn't be able to shoot more than two spells like the ones she just used."

"That's true," Aries admitted. "We're only human."

Venus flinched. "We also-"

"No, I don't mean to say you're not. It's just that being able to use magic, and excelling at it, are two different things. You may think being able to use only one kind of magic energy makes you weaker, but in one or two years, you could be able to outpower me without even trying."

"When you put it that way, it sounds unfair."

Aries smiled at her, and it was a kind smile. "Demon Hunters have always taken care of minor threats. Senshi take care of the major ones. It's been that way for eons, although your group took quite an extended vacation."

Venus was about to say something, but then summoned her comm. After hearing Shade's message, she sighed. "Damn it, I thought he would stay down after that beating."

"I won't be of any help to you in your fight, but I can still help you in other ways. Selene's Gift."

Dragon Venus' eyes widened as a stream of energy shot from Aries and into them both. "An energy transfer spell?"

"You and Orion may think you know a lot, but you've got a long way to go before you can cast the kind of spells we have."

Dragon Venus nodded. "Yeah, I know." He turned to Venus. "Let's go give Kunzite another beating."

"Twice a day, that's going to be a new record for him," Venus mused.

"Teleport."

* * *

Zoicite appeared in the room and saw Kunzite was also there, as beaten up as him. Before he could speak, however, he noticed Beryl, who was definitely not in a good mood.

"Things have gone quite wrong," Beryl said, before either of them could ask. "Jadeite's dead, Nephrite hasn't dealt with Nemesis yet, and Aurite is the only one having an easy time... But if the other Senshi reach her, that can change."

Zoicite frowned. "Nephrite isn't done dealing with Nemesis?"

"One of the youma I gave each of you was there to observe you, besides fighting the Senshi. And the one with Nephrite tells me he's just talking to her."

"Nemesis was his lover before he joined us," Kunzite noted. "Perhaps some of his human side has resurfaced."

"If that's the case, we can't trust him to deal with her," Beryl said. "Zoicite, go back there, and if you see he may turn against us, make sure he's dealt with, along with Nemesis."

"As you command," Zoicite said and vanished.

Beryl turned to Kunzite. "And you will help Aurite. I've been informed Sailor Moon is currently using the shards, if you kill her, you will be able to get them."

"Consider it done."

Beryl stared at the point where Kunzite had been standing before shaking her head. "I will consider it done after you've actually done it." She looked at the shadows around her throne. "Are the Seven ready to go?"

"Yes, mother. We can send them to Earth whenever you wish."

"Let's wait and see how this battle develops, they may have another chance to kill the Senshi today."

* * *

Nemesis looked at Nephrite. He wasn't attacking, he wasn't ordering his youma to attack. That could mean he still... No, she couldn't let false hopes cloud her mind. "Why are you doing this?"

"Why? So that our Queen can take over the Earth."

"Stop using that excuse, Nephrite. I know you know who I am. If you had told other Generals, I would be dead by now."

Nephrite walked to Nemesis. "You're as smart as I remember, Nadia."

"Stop using that name. Nadia's dead."

"She is, but if you were only Nemesis, then I would be dead by now," Nephrite said.

Nemesis cringed at that. Yes, she could have shot him down several times in the last few minutes. Then why hadn't she? No, she couldn't lie to herself anymore. "You're right, I don't want to kill you, but I cannot let youma win this war."

"We youma need human life energy. We can survive without it, but living like that weakens us. You're right about one thing, I am not doing this for my Queen, I'm doing this for myself."

"If it's life energy you need, then I can give it to you."

Zoicite appeared near them, and heard that last bit. "What is going on here, Nephrite?"

Nephrite looked at Zoicite, but his mind was trying to grasp the meaning of Nemesis' words. "Nemesis... Naru, are you honestly telling me you would willingly give me life energy when I needed it?"

"Yes."

Nephrite could sense no doubt, no fear in Nemesis' voice. And that drove away the doubts and fears in his own mind. He was still staring at Zoicite, but his stare turned into a glare. "Then I know what to do."

Zoicite was caught by surprise, and the energy blast knocked him through a tree. However, he wasn't giving up so easily. He mentally called upon one of the shards, borrowing power from it, and smiled wickedly. "I was sent here to kill Nemesis, and I'll do just that. Die!"

Nemesis didn't have time to dodge the lightning-fast energy beam, but something stopped it from hitting her. As she realized what had just happened, she felt tears forming in her eyes. "Nephrite!"

Nephrite smiled at her as he fell to the ground. "It's okay, Naru, don't cry... In a way, you saved my soul... I thought I didn't have one anymore."

Saturn had been waiting for the right chance to jump in, but since all the two fighters had been doing was talking, she had decided to stay out of sight. However, she saw the youma who had been awaiting orders were, now that Nephrite was down, preparing to attack Nemesis, and she decided this was as good a time as any to help. "Grim Wave."

The wave killed all the lesser youma, and Nemesis turned to stare at the newcomer as she landed near her. "I will worry about you later, but that bastard is mine."

Saturn nodded, she could see a thin black aura surrounding Nemesis, so she was sure things would get painful for the General in a few seconds. However... "Death Grasp."

Zoicite saw bony hands popping out from the ground and clutching his legs. "What in Darkness is this?"

"Just in case you were thinking about escaping."

"Nemesis Twilight Power!"

Zoicite would have just gloated and escaped, but the skeletal hands holding him were also stopping him from teleporting away. "No... I will not die like this!" he shot an energy wave at Nemesis, who was just done transforming... And then gasped in shock as Nemesis simply let it hit. "Impossible."

Nemesis glared at him. "Nothing is impossible for us."

"Hah! If that's so, then why don't you revive your lover, wench?"

Nemesis smiled coldly. "Point taken. But since I cannot bring him back, I will just have to make sure you don't kill anyone ever again. Nemesis Night..." She pointed her arms at her foe, and her own shadow spread forwards, until it touched Zoicite's shadow. She then clasped her hands together, as is to pray, and closed her eyes. "...Shade!"

Zoicite was at first surprised, as he could see no attack coming from Nemesis. But then she sensed it, and looked back to see his own shadow shrinking. No, it wasn't shrinking, it was... He wasn't able to form any coherent thought, or even to scream in pain, as his own shadow fused with him, flooding his every cell with dark energy.

Nemesis turned to Saturn as Zoicite's body vanished. "Now, who are you?"

"Sailor Saturn."

"Your suit's different."

"And so is yours," Saturn said.

Nemesis looked at her own suit and realized the newcomer was right. Her suit now looked just like Saturn's one, but with black where purple should be. "What is..."

"We're both Twilight Senshi now."

"I see. Maybe I can help the others."

Saturn looked at Nemesis. The girl seemed strangely calm, considering what had just happened. "From what I could hear, you and that Nephrite man..."

Nemesis nodded. "I'll weep for him once this is over." She noticed something as she looked at the place where Zoicite had been. She walked to the small crystal shard, which was hovering a few inches above the ground, and took it in her hands. "Only three to go."

* * *

Aurite's battle had been the easiest one thus far. True, normal youma were no match for Senshi, but she wasn't a normal youma. And fighting the six minions had tired down the two Mercuries a bit. "It's pointless, kids. You two are the weakest Senshi, what can you do against the strongest General of the Dark Kingdom?"

"For starters, I was thinking about beating you down until you stopped gloating."

She looked at the Dragon. "I know your strong point is melee, so I'll simply have to stay out of melee range."

Mercury grimaced. She couldn't shoot her upgraded attack anymore, and her normal one wouldn't work against Aurite. However, right now Dragon Mercury was keeping Aurite distracted. Aurite knew Mercury's attacks wouldn't harm her, so she was focusing on the one who could still manage to beat her.

But Mercury had noticed something else while fighting Aurite. She just needed to wait for the right time to act, and she would show Aurite underestimating any of the Senshi was a dire mistake.

Dragon Mercury tried to tackle Aurite, but the General simply phased out of the way. He tried again, to the same effect, but he also felt something. If Ami was planning what he thought she was, then Aurite would be in pain soon. He summoned his sword, holding it above his head, and charged at Aurite once again.

Aurite prepared to phase out of the way again, but then realized something. Only one sword? She phased out of the way before the Dragon could hit her, and smiled. No matter what trick he had planned, she could-

Dragon Mercury smirked as Aurite yelled in pain, seeing his Mercury sword's tip was now coming out of her stomach. "And yet again, overconfidence loses the battle."

Aurite growled at him, then walked forwards to remove herself from the sword, turning back to look at Mercury, who was still holding the sword defiantly. "I must admit I didn't think a weakling like you would know how to use a sword."

"Doesn't need a genius to stab someone, specially if they're not paying attention to you," Mercury retorted.

Aurite laughed at that, but knew she would have to change her strategy to win. "Think fast."

Mercury guessed what Aurite meant, and dodged to the side. However, the attack didn't come from Aurite, but from behind.

The Dragon saw Mercury fall to her knees and charged at their foe. Aurite, however, simply phased out of the way and laughed. "Damn it, you're a cheap bitch, just like Luminite."

"Don't compare me with that weakling."

He smiled. "She at least had a slightly better sense of the battlefield than you."

Aurite guessed what he meant, and ducked in time to dodge the airboard charging at her from the side. However, the airboard dropped a dozen metal spheres, and Aurite was instantly surrounded by gas.

But even though Aurite should be choking in poisonous smoke, an attack came from the side, knocking the Dragon to the ground. "How the heck..."

"She's not there," Mercury said. She was too weak to fight, but she was scanning the area with her visor. "She's creating an illusion of herself, phasing out randomly, and attacking from elsewhere while we're still expecting her decoy to attack us."

"So you know how I do it... It still won't help you win," Aurite said from somewhere around them.

Dragon Mercury frowned. His eyes were not to be trusted, so he would have to trust his other senses.

"Terry, what are you-" Mercury started as she saw him close his eyes.

"Giving up already?" Aurite snapped, and another blast shot from the side. This time, however, the Dragon swung his sword straight at it, and it was absorbed by it.

"Interesting," the Dragon said as he noticed his sword's blade had a black hue.

A figure appeared right behind him. "Damn it, Aurite, you can't even defeat these two weaklings?"

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

Kunzite dodged the blast, but frowned as he couldn't see or sense anything around him. "Damn it..."

"Icycle Spray!"

Kunzite was knocked to the ground. His fight against the two Venus had left him little energy to fight with, but he wouldn't give up. "You fight well, Senshi, but we cannot lose. We will not lose." As he said that, he summoned the last two crystal shards, smiling as their energy healed him. "I will kill you all myself!"

Aurite felt like slapping herself in the forehead. Of course, the shards! "Mind if I help?"

"Not at all," Kunzite said.

"Icycle Spray!"

This time, the attack did no harm, and Kunzite laughed. "Fool."

Mercury saw Dragon Mercury flying back, and gasped. Kunzite could see through her mist? "I can't give up, I-" She sensed an energy flare and turned back, gasping as she saw one of the figures. "What happened to you?"

Nemesis smiled. "Leave them to us, Ami."

Kunzite frowned. If Nemesis was here, then that meant... "Die!"

"Nightshade."

"Grim Wave."

The two attacks punched through Kunzite's one, and knocked him back several feet. "What in Darkness..."

Nemesis staggered back. "Damn, out of power already."

"You can still use your weaker attacks," Saturn explained.

"Good to know."

"Wow, what's with the suit?"

Nemesis saw the rest of the team was there. "This is the Twilight level suit."

Moon looked at Saturn. "Hey, why is she a level above us too?"

"I've been a Senshi for longer than any of you," Saturn noted. "However, my power isn't infinite, and right now I won't-" She stopped as she saw Dragon Venus was staring at her. "Stop that."

"I can sense your magic levels," Dragon Venus said, "both you and Nemesis are roughly ten times stronger than any of us."

Nemesis summoned the shard she had found and tossed it to Moon. "There, you can use this."

Dragon Venus looked at Moon. "Believe it or not, her power's three times higher with those crystals."

"Guys, leave the socials for later, the two freaks want to fight," Jupiter noted.

Kunzite smiled deviously. "You're too weak to fight me. Die!"

The ripple of dark energy shot forth in all directions, hitting all the Senshi. Moon, Saturn and Nemesis were the only ones still standing once it passed, but Moon turned as she heard a noise behind her, and saw a couple buildings were coming down. "No!"

Mercury couldn't stand up and help her friends, but she could still use her scanner. "There were no civilians there. In fact, there's no civilians in the area."

"But how, there were plenty of civilians around here."

"Moon, focus!" Nemesis said. "We'll worry about that later."

Moon finally realized something. Nemesis' tone was not quite her usual. "Naru, what happened to..."

"I'll tell you later, just get them."

Moon was confused by that last statement. They were much stronger than her, why didn't they fight these foes themselves?

"They're barely standing," Mercury said, guessing what Moon was thinking. "It's all up to you."

"It will be okay, then," Mars said. "Get them, Moon."

Kunzite laughed as he heard that. "This girl cannot defeat both of us!"

Just as he was done saying that, a barrage of magic blasts hit him from the side. They did little besides surprising him, but the distraction worked, as Tuxedo Kamen rushed in from the side and tackled him away.

But Moon knew Kunzite was much stronger than Tuxedo, stronger than her. They couldn't... No! She would not let the youma hurt her friends any longer. She would not give up. "Moon Tiara Flight!"

Aurite formed a shield right in time, but the tiara still blasted through it, knocking her away with so much momentum, it was a miracle her body hadn't just split in half. She punched through three buildings before falling straight into the ocean, miles away from where the Senshi were.

"Finally, someone shut goldielocks up for good," Dragon Sun commented weakly.

Kunzite was hit by the tiara several times, but he still stood up after the barrage, and smiled as Moon leaned on a wall. "I've won."

"Not yet, Kunzite."

Moon saw Aries there, along with the three Huntresses she knew, and there were at least twenty other Hunters around them. Perhaps they would be able to beat Kunzite, or at least give her time to think of something to do.

Aries stood there as all the other Hunters shouted out different spells, then glared at Kunzite. "We may not be as strong as the Senshi are, but it would be foolish of you to ignore us. Spell fusion, Storm of Ragnarok!"

All the other spells converged into Aries' palms, and she shot a bright beam, which caused a rather large explosion. Kunzite was sent tumbling back, but still staggered up. Credit where credit's due, he had to admit that attack had hurt a damn lot, but the Hunters were all out of power after that. "Hmph, I can still win this."

The three Mooncats walked to Moon, and Luna smiled at her. "Moon, don't give up."

"I'm not, but what can I do?"

"You can die!"

The blast was fast, and Moon was distracted, so she had no time to dodge. Tuxedo Kamen had guessed Kunzite's move, however, and blocked the blow with his body. He was sent rolling sideways, and his mask was blown off by the hit.

Moon's eyes widened as she saw who it was. Karin's brother, Mamoru. "It was him?"

"Moon, you are the Moon Princess, you're the only one who can do this."

"But I'm just a weak girl, what can I-"

"Stop underestimating yourself," Luna said. "I thought it was a coincidence that I found you first, but a part of my mind lead me to you. We all believe in you, but it will all be pointless if you don't believe in yourself."

Moon sighed. Could she do it, really? Kunzite's energy was still above her own, how could she hope to defeat him? Suddenly, she realized something. She could sense them, the shards linked to Kunzite. But not only that. She could do more than sense them, if she focused in them. "You're right, Luna. If I start giving up so easily, then I'll go back to being how I was when you first found me, and... Despite myself, I like being a Senshi."

Kunzite was about to gloat, but then he saw something he wasn't quite ready to see. Three crystal shards floating right in front of Moon, but two were the shards he had been using! As four more shards appeared, Kunzite realized what it meant. "The Moon Princess is awakening. No!"

Even as he shot, he knew it was useless. The crystals shone with a bright light, and the attack was absorbed by them. Then, the crystals all flew into each other, causing a bright flare which blinded everyone for a few seconds. When they were able to see again, they saw Moon still standing there, but she was now wearing a long, white gown, and a small crystal floated above her open palm. Everyone realized what the crystal was. The Ginzuishou.

"This is the end of the line, Kunzite. I will give you a chance to leave, because I'm no murderer."

Dragon Mercury couldn't help but stare at Moon. Her voice was calm, and yet at the same time it was clear she was sure of her victory. "Is that really Usagi?"

Mercury nodded. "Yes, and her power is... I can't put it in words, really. At least a hundred times stronger than Nemesis."

Kunzite stood frozen in shock for a moment, but suddenly smiled as he received a mental message from Beryl. "Foolish Moon Princess, you will not win today. Rainbow Youma, come forth!"

"_Oh fuck no_," Dragon Venus said as the seven Rainbow Youma appeared around Kunzite.

"Guys, look at her," Mars said.

As the others did as Mars told them, they all knew there was still hope. The Moon Princess was still smiling, and as she reached her left hand forwards, a sword appeared in it. "If they were at the same power they had that night, then I would be worried, but they are not. Even at the level I am, they are barely worth fighting against."

"They will still destroy you, little Princess."

The Princess still smiled as her crystal lit up. "No, they won't."

* * *

**A/N:** This and last episode were a single one in my planning file, but I figured it would be too long to read in one go. Also, I like cliffhangers. Not that anyone hadn't figured that last bit out by now.

I've also corrected a small mistake I made several times with the name of a secondary character, so several chapters have been re-uploaded. Nothing of consequence, so if you haven't noticed the mistake, it's just that "Saiko" was "Raiko" while I was planning the plot, and I used that name several times before I realized I was doing it. Oops.


	24. The calm before the storm

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 24: The calm before the storm.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 21, 2013_

* * *

The seven didn't waste a second, and they all attacked as a team. Arieru and Raiyuu attacked from a distance, but a thin light bubble surrounded the Princess, stopping their beams. Aruboru tried to use its vines to trap the Princess, but she slashed them apart with her sword. While she was seemingly distracted by the others, Yajinko, the 'yeti,' tried to tackle her, but the Princess simply spun around, using her blade to behead the creature in one swift slice.

"What the hell, she's damn good with that sword!"

Luna could only agree with Dragon Mercury. "She is. It's hard to explain, that is Usagi and at the same time... It's not her."

"Yeah, you've lost me," the Dragon said, and most of the others nodded in agreement.

"As the crystal formed, a part of the spirit of Princess Serenity, the Moon Princess, appeared, and she took over in order to win this fight."

"Wait, what will happen to Usagi, then?"

Artemis smiled at Mars. "Don't worry, the Princess... That's only a small fragment of her spirit. A very small part of her real power. And she's fighting as fiercely as she is because she knows her time's rather limited."

Saturn looked at the battle, and noticed five out of the seven were down. "I now see legends weren't wrong. She's simply amazing."

"Wait, you said _a small part_ of her real power?" Jupiter said. Artemis nodded. "And she's kicking those youma around like they're not even there." Artemis nodded again. "Shit, she must have been damn strong."

"You all were," Shade noted, "and will eventually be, given time and training."

A screech was heard, and everyone noticed Suzaku was gone. Only the dragon, Tiamat, was left. Before Serenity could attack, however, the dragon used its poison breath, and many of the Senshi cringed as they recalled how strong that attack was. But suddenly, the Princess leapt out of the poison cloud, and above the dragon's head. She then used her momentum, and her sword, to cleanly cut the dragon in half.

Kunzite frowned. Even the Seven had been powerless against this woman. He sent their souls back to the Dark Kingdom, he knew his spawns would still find some use for them. But he was not going back. He was quite sure Beryl would kill him if he retreated, and while staying would possibly have the same end result, at least he would die fighting.

Princess Serenity saw Kunzite summon a crystal sword and rush at her, and sighed. She stopped the first slash, and then tried to counter, but Kunzite was good with a sword himself. They kept fighting for minutes before they both leapt away from each other. Kunzite was panting and barely standing, but the Princess wasn't showing any sign of exhaustion.

"Know what makes it more awesome?" Dragon Venus commented, "she's doing all that while wearing a long gown."

Dragon Mercury chuckled at that. "She could beat _me_ without even trying, and I'm not afraid to admit it."

Kunzite glared at the Princess, but the a smile formed in his face for a second. "You are too strong for me to kill... But your friends aren't!"

The large energy wave shot too fast for the Princess to react, and her eyes widened as it shot by her. However, the three Mooncats closed their eyes, and a wall of energy formed in front of them, absorbing the attack. "Thanks, Luna."

"Just take care of that guy, Princess," Luna said.

Mars stared at Luna. "Hey, since when can you do that?"

"Since always," Luna said, then staggered back. "But it's not something we can use all the time, it eats up a lot of mana."

The Princess stared at Kunzite. "I was willing to let you escape at first, but you attacked my friends. That was your last mistake." Kunzite said nothing, but dashed forwards, rising his sword once more. The Princess just rose one hand, and an energy beam as tall as her shot forwards, washing over Kunzite and blasting him apart before he could as much as scream in pain. "It's done."

The Senshi stared at the Princess as she walked to them. "Usagi?"

"Luna already told you, the answer to that is both yes and no."

Tuxedo Kamen staggered up, and smiled at her. "Serenity... I remember now."

She smiled at him, then looked at the Senshi. "I will now return your memories to you." The Sailor Senshi all fell unconscious. "As for the rest of you..."

"Hey, what did you do to them?" Dragon Mercury asked.

"They are remembering that day, the day Silver Millenium fell. I will tell you what happened that day, and what I know of what happened before that. But I don't have much time left, so don't interrupt until I'm done."

The Dragons looked at each other and at Tuxedo, and they all nodded.

Luna looked around as Serenity started her story, noticing the Hunters were all gone. "This war is not over yet."

Artemis nodded. "But the advantage is ours now."

* * *

Dragon Mercury was quite shocked. The story was rather unbelievable, and yet he had seen his good share of the unbelievable lately. "What will happen to you now?"

"Me and Usagi share a soul, but... We're not the same person, in a way. When she wakes up, I'll be gone, most likely for good-" There was a hint of sadness in her voice, but she smiled. "It was good to be able to fight one more time, and to see my friends again. I have no regrets. Farewell."

The Princess fainted, but Tuxedo Kamen caught her. Her suit was back to normal, and she stared at the guy as she opened her eyes. "Uh..."

Tuxedo smiled. "You were right, you were the Princess."

"Yes, I remember now. I also know all the Princess said while I was, uhm, not quite here."

The Sailor Senshi were all awake, and looking at them. "So wait, since Endymion and Serenity were lovers back then..." Mars started.

"Hmph, Endymion might have been a Prince, but this guy?" Moon said as she walked back to her friends.

Tuxedo Kamen was surprised by her reaction. "Huh? What do you mean?"

Moon turned back to normal and stared at him. "You may have saved me several times while I was Sailor Moon, but you were always a jerk to me when you didn't have your mask on."

Tuxedo Kamen sighed and turned to leave, but then looked at her. "You know, if you mature quite a bit, and stop being so lazy, then you may one day be a lady, as Serenity was."

Usagi glared at him as he walked away. "Why you, _jerk!_" she shouted that last part a bit louder than needed.

"Guess the Princess was right, they're not quite the same person," Mercury commented.

"Anyhow, we won, we got the Ginzuishou," Usagi said, "let's go, I want to go have some fun now."

"Thought you would try to take this more seriously after all that's happened lately," Mars commented.

"Rei..." Usagi shook her head, she didn't want to argue with her friend right now, but how to make her understand what she meant?

Luna walked to them. "I agree with Usagi," she said, and before anyone could ask, she added, "to end this war, we will have to attack youma at their source, and after what you heard and saw, you know there's risks."

"We'll be okay," Jupiter said.

"Are you sure?" Usagi asked. "What if that super youma appears? He'll be weaker than he was, but I only managed to beat those seven minutes ago because I _cheated._ I don't think even Naru and Saturn had a chance against those guys."

"That's _one _way to look at it," Dragon Venus commented.

"If there was an alternative, I would not want you to go there," Luna said, "but we still need to find out where their link is, where their main gateway is placed. So you will have a while to rest and recover. Use that time wisely."

Usagi looked at the new Dragon and Sailor. "Nice to meet you, I guess."

"Likewise," Saturn said.

Dragon Sun was about to say something, but then shrugged and turned back to normal. "No use hiding it from you."

Usagi's eyes widened. "So if this is Hiyama, then..."

Saturn turned back to normal. "I wanted to play Mistery Senshi for a while longer, but that's a moot point now."

"How come no civilians were around, though?" Venus asked. "Anyone knows?"

"Given enough Demon Hunters are around, it's possible to relocate a lot of people in a very short time," Kage commented.

Usagi looked at Nemesis, who was not saying a word. "Naru, let's go home."

"It's quite a long walk there, don't you want a ride?" Dragon Mercury asked, but then saw the way Usagi was staring at him. "Uh, nevermind. Just be careful."

"We will," Usagi said.

Naru had already turned back to normal, and gave her a sad smile. "Let's go."

* * *

Usagi had guessed right, her friend was only holding back because he didn't want the others to see her like that. But now that they were alone... Usagi looked on as Naru sobbed, and felt quite useless. They had stopped to sit in a bench close to Naru's house, and Naru had started telling her what had happened, but after she told her how Nephrite took a hit for her, she was in too much pain to continue. "Naru... I can't lie to you, I can't tell you it will be fine. I won't tell you that I know how you feel, because that would be my greatest lie ever. But I'll always be here for you if you need someone to talk to, okay?"

Naru nodded, then sighed. "I... When Zoicite killed him, I simply lost it. I wanted to kill that bastard a hundred times for what he did, but I only could do it once. And I enjoyed it. I can't believe I'm saying this, but it felt good to watch him be eaten from within by my attack."

Usagi flinched at that. Nemesis' new attack sounded pretty creepy. "Naru, I don't think any of us would blame you for what you did, or what you felt. It's over, as long as you don't let that anger control you. Just look at Terry."

Naru gave her a wry smile. "So I either become a scornful avenger, or a walking joke? Sounds like a fun choice to make."

Usagi shook her head at that. "I don't think he would have wanted to see you become either." Naru looked away, but Usagi smiled. "and I don't think Umino would like that, either."

"Hmph, what's Umino have to do with anything?"

"I've known you both sice we were toddlers, Naru. You may be able to fool others, to fool yourself, but I know Umino's not fooled by your act. And neither am I."

Naru looked down, then wiped her tears off her face. "Someday, I may just drop the act. Someday..."

Usagi stood up. "Let's go. I'm sure your mother must be worried by now."

"Lead the way, fearless leader," Naru joked.

Usagi frowned. "Leader, I still don't know about that. You and Saturn are-"

"Tell me, who beat the crap out of seven monster who knocked us all around several times before, and then turned Kunzite into ashes, without breaking a sweat?"

Usagi sighed. "Yeah, technically that was me."

"As far as I'm concerned, you are already like that princess, Usagi."

"Thanks."

"Too bad you don't seem to have hit it off at all with your Prince Charming."

"Hmph. That jerk."

"You should give him a chance, Usagi."

"Hah, as if. I'd rather start dating Umino."

"He's taken," Naru said, then blushed. "Oops."

Usagi smiled at her. Just like Terry, it would take Naru a long time to heal, but she was sure she would heal, eventually.

* * *

"... And some say this was the final battle. They wrecked quite a lot of public property, but from what I could gather, they eliminated the youma 'bosses.'"

Terry listened to Umino, then smiled. "That sounds too crazy to be true. Which means it may be true."

"I hope they will be done wrecking the city soon," Karin noted.

"I wish I could meet them."

Terry looked at Yukiko. "Haven't you already?"

"Yeah, but... It's like meeting Superman, but not Clark Kent."

"Superman's a hero, Clark Kent is just a lousy reporter," Terry said dismissively.

"It would be cool to date a Senshi," Yukiko said, not really paying attention to Terry.

"... You mean the male ones who appeared recently, right?" Umino asked.

"No, not really," Yukiko said, not minding the looks most of the students in the classroom gave her.

Terry looked at Usagi, and saw she was staring at Yukiko in shock. "Hey, if things don't work out with that Chiba guy, you could date her," he said in a whisper.

"Don't even joke about that," Usagi muttered.

"Is Naru coming to school today?"

"Not sure. She's still rather upset."

"I know how she must be feeling," Terry said, "I wasn't quite sociable for a week after..." He trailed off and smiled sadly.

"You weren't quite sociable when you came to our school," Usagi said with a frown.

"Point."

"So, are you going to tell Ami about..."

"I'm still not sure if I should."

"You know, she knows, everyone else knows... What's stopping you, really?"

"Not trying to use this as an excuse, but... You said it yourself, things may not work out as planned for our group."

Usagi nodded slowly. "I don't think that should stop you, but I understand."

"You two shouldn't be talking about this kind of things in the classroom."

Usagi almost jumped. She hadn't noticed Hotaru at all. "Uh... Nobody's listening to us."

"I heard about what happened with Luminite," Hotaru whispered, "I thought you guys would realize there's always someone listening."

Terry looked at Hotaru. "You're right. Let's talk about this later, Usagi."

Usagi saw Hotaru stand there, her face showing no emotion. "Don't you ever smile?"

"I seldom find a reason to," Hotaru said.

"You must be joking," Terry muttered.

"She's not," Kage said from his seat. "I've managed to make her smile four times in three months, and she laughed only once. And I'm not quite sure about it, but she might have blushed once. I may have imagined that, though."

Terry chuckled. "You sure she's not a robot?"

"Target located. Elimination protocol started." Hotaru said.

Kage blinked at Hotaru as she walked away from an equally surprised Terry. "... And I'm quite sure that's the first time she makes a joke."

* * *

"And that's the situation right now. The Generals are gone, the Rainbow Youma may have been weakened greatly after fighting the Princess... All the Senshi have to do now is find their base."

The only other woman in the room smiled. "Not really."

"What do you mean?" Emi asked.

"We knew knowing where the youma were coming from would give us an advantage in this war. But we also knew trying a direct assault on their world would be nearly impossible for the Hunters."

"So you've already located their portal?"

"There's a portal in Tokyo, but it's blocked now. There used to be portals in New York and London too, but those are gone. The only one left is the largest one."

"Where's the main portal?"

"In the north pole."

"How will the Senshi teleport all the way there?"

"Daughter, there's still things you don't know about the Senshi. Even in their current, relatively weak level, they're full of tricks."

Emi nodded at Aries, or rather Junko Hiyama, her mother. "Another thing... Will we go with them?"

"Would you stay if I told you to stay?"

"... No."

"Then if they do ask for your help, you may tag along with them. Just be careful, there could be thousands of youma in there."

* * *

Hours later, Emi and her two friends were done telling the Senshi about what they had heard. The Senshi were all staring at them in different states of shock or disbelief.

"The north pole." Naru said.

"The freaking north pole," Mako muttered. "We'll freeze to death there."

"Not really, our suits have a protective layer, we could resist the lowest temperatures there for a couple hours," Ami said.

"Youma are coming from a sort of portal in there, but it leads to a place that's unlike any place in our world."

"They're coming from another dimension, then?" Brad asked.

Luna looked at the Senshi. "You can go there whenever you're ready."

Usagi looked at her friends. "We need to prepare for this."

"The sooner we go, the sooner-"

"We may not come back," Usagi said, interrupting Minako. "Even if I can't tell them about my 'job', I would still like to spend some time with my family before I leave."

"She's right," Terry said.

Luna smiled. "She sure is. I'm not sure how long we have, but if the youma show up, we'll tell you."

"Okay, and... How are we going to get there? With the help of a thousand Hunters?"

"No, with the Sailor Teleport," Shade said.

"We can teleport?" Usagi asked. "Why didn't you tell us?"

Artemis smiled at her. "Because the technique needs more than one Senshi to work, and the larger the distance, the more it will drain you. However, the more Senshi sharing the burden, the less it will affect you, and with two Senshi in Twilight level, then you should be able to get there without even feeling the strain."

"Okay, guys, let's meet here in two days."

"But it's a weekend. I wanted to go shopping this weekend," Minako complained.

"Minako, take this seriously!" Artemis snapped.

Minako sighed. "Yeah, I know. I was joking."

"It's not that I didn't want to spend the weekend just being my usual lazy self," Usagi admitted, "but going to the north pole after going to school? That sounds worse."

"... Yeah, that's Usagi for you," Rei mused.

"I'm sure everyone has things they want to do before we go fight those youma," Usagi said, looking at Terry and Ami, who both stared back at her, their faces unreadable.

"You know, you sound... Awfully pessimistic," Luna noted. "That's not like you."

"I trust everyone, and I want everyone to come back from there in one piece," Usagi said, "but things don't always go as we want them to."

Terry gave her a sad smile. "That's quite true."

* * *

And so, two days later, the Senshi were all meeting in the mansion's backyard. The three Huntresses were there, along with Aries, as the Senshi had agreed with Emi's thoughts. Tuxedo Kamen was also there, although not all the Senshi wanted his help.

"Wait, is Aries going to fight too?" Moon asked.

"No, I'm going to be, to use a term I was informed one of you used, a 'human taxi.'"

Luna looked at the Senshi, stopping in Usagi. "Guys, good luck out there. Usagi, you're a warrior when it counts, and I may not show it a lot, but it's been a honor to be your mentor. Make sure you come back."

"Thanks for everything, Luna," Usagi said with a smile.

"Okay, now you must stand in a circle," Artemis instructed. The Senshi did as told. "Close your eyes and concentrate." Artemis himself would be the one 'aiming' the teleport, as any mistake could be potentially deadly, or leave the Senshi miles away from their goal. "Be ready, when I tell you, call upon the Sailor Teleport." He waited and nodded as an aura of light surrounded all the Senshi. "Now!"

"Sailor Teleport!"

"That looked awesome," Circe commented as the Senshi vanished.

Aries looked at the three Huntresses and the black-clad man. "Now it's your turn."

"We're ready," Mira said.

"Good luck out there, Emi. Wisp Portal!"

Shade looked at Aries. "... Wasn't that the technique Dragon Venus used before? He said he had created it."

"He did, but I'm a very good student."

Luna looked up to the sky. "Good luck, everyone."

* * *

**A/N:** And this episode's a reverse from last two. It was meant to be two separate episodes, but I found they would both be too short if I wrote them as planned.

I bet some were expecting me to auto-couple Usagi and Mamoru like I did in the last story (or like mostly every fanfic author out there does.) Back then I was too horrible at writing romance to try what I'm planning this time around.

Not saying I got better at it, just saying I'm going to try it anyways.


	25. Dark descent

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 25: Dark descent.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 22, 2013_

* * *

"It's cold," Moon said.

"We know," Mars muttered.

Moon sighed. They had appeared in some sort of icy tunnel, and Mercury said their goal was deeper inside it. They had walked for several minutes, but the tunnel seemed continued for miles.

"So, what's the plan?" Venus asked.

"If we're lucky, we may be able to get to the portal unnoticed," Mercury said, "once there, I may be able to locate Queen Bery's location."

"We teleport to where she is, eliminate her and go back home," Saturn said in her usual monotone. "I like that plan."

"Unfortunately, we may not be able to proceed as planned," Mercury noted as her visor started displaying some numbers. "Oh shit."

"Ami is cursing, this must be a bad omen," Mars joked.

"This is serious," Mercury explained. "There's five entities coming our way, and they're all as strong as a General."

"The Rainbow Youma?"

Mercury shook her head. "Something else."

It took only a minute for the creatures to reach them. Five female youma, all had wings and looked quite similar to each other, and were wearing form-fitting suits which left little to imagination. "What are they, the Youma Rangers?" Dragon Sun joked.

"We are the DD Girls, Beryl's strongest soldiers."

"_DD _Girls?" Dragon Mercury mused. "Is that for your bra size?"

"Leave or die," another of the youma said.

"Likewise," Jupiter snapped. "Supreme Thunder!"

The youma whose suit's color matched Jupiter's reached out her hand, and shot an energy blast, blocking Jupiter's one. "You're weaklings, I can't believe the Generals were beaten by you."

"Nightshade."

One of the youma fell to the ground, screaming in pain, and the others all glared at Nemesis. "Kill her!"

Four blasts of energy converged on Nemesis, but someone else took the hit for her. Nemesis looked at Mira and gasped. "Emi, no..."

Mira was lying on the ground, there were no visible signs of damage, but the energy had damaged her greatly. She still managed to smile at Nemesis. "I wanted to see how this would end, but... I already know you will win. A little help won't hurt, though." As she said that, she rose her arm and aimed her palm at the youma Nemesis had attacked. "Prismatic Hell."

The attack was as swift as it was deadly, a barrage of elemental beams shot from all directions, piercing through the youma's body before she could even figure out what was happening. Mira had spent all her remaining energy in it, however, and Nemesis saw she wasn't breathing.

Dragon Sun let out a scream and charged forwards, slashing down at one of the remaining youma. The youma's arm turned into a blade, however, but the Dragon still kept trying to cut her in half as the others watched the scene in shock.

Moon was looking at Mira's body. Yes, she knew this could happen, but it didn't make it any easier for her. Despite only knowing them for a short while, Usagi already considered the three Huntresses her friends. And she had promised herself she would not let any of her friends die. She turned to look at Saturn, who was also staring at the fallen Huntress. "Saturn, what's wrong?"

"I... I can still feel her soul."

"Sailor Saturn is the Senshi of Life and Death," Mercury said.

Saturn nodded. "I'm quite aware of that. I've been able to heal myself and others for years, but perhaps I'm strong enough now to-" she stopped as Dragon Sun fell near her. He was in a bad shape, but she could see the youma he had targeted was not much better than him. "I have to try this."

Moon saw Saturn kneel besides Mira's body, and turned to the others. "Come on guys, I'm supposed to be the lazy one. Let's get those creeps!"

"You seem a bit too enthusiastic about it," Mars noted.

"They hurt my friends. I cannot forgive that."

The Senshi attacked, taking down three of the four remaining youma. The last one, however, was smiling at them. "Well done, Senshi, I must admit we underestimated your skill. I guess we will have to stop playing now."

"We? You're the only one left!" Jupiter said.

The woman laughed. "They do look quite dead, don't they?" She looked at the other youma. "Come on girls, it's time to show them what real power looks like."

"Of course, they didn't vanish like other youma do," Mercury noted. She felt like slapping herself for not noticing it before.

Dragon Sun crawled to where Saturn was, and saw Saturn was trying to heal Mira. "Hotaru, you don't have to strain yourself."

"Yes, I do have to."

"I won't hate you if you can't bring her back."

"But I'll hate myself if I don't do it," Saturn said, then looked at Mira's body. "Besides, I think I figured out how to do it." She put a hand on Mira's forehead, and closed her eyes. "Here goes nothing." A thin white light surrounded both Saturn and Mira as she said that.

For a few seconds, nothing happened, but then Mira took a deep breath and opened her eyes. "What... What happened?"

Dragon Sun smiled at her. "Saturn brought you back, Emi."

Mira's eyes widened. "I thought that was only a legend."

"Apparently, it's not," Saturn said, "a warning, however, I can only do it once per person."

Dragon Sun checked the battle, and saw the others were still trying to kill the five. "I have to help them."

"You're in no shape to fight," Saturn said.

"But I have to-" He stopped as he saw Saturn's face. She was worried about him. "Okay, I'll just sit around while you get all the fun."

"Good," Saturn said and walked away.

"You two really get along," Mira mused.

"Eeeh... Don't start," Dragon Sun muttered.

Saturn could see that while the youma were stronger than they had first seemed to be, they were not that much stronger. However, she noticed Dragon Mercury stabbing one of the youma through with his swords, and the youma seemed quite dead for a few seconds. She could see things other couldn't, so she knew the youma _was _dead. But then, she rose from the ground and glared at him.

"Why don't you stay down, youma?" Dragon Mercury asked.

Suddenly, she could sense two souls inside the woman. No, three of them. She looked around and saw two other youma were 'resurrecting' and suddenly knew what the trick was, as the one the Dragon had killed was back to having one soul. She walked to Mercury, who was recovering while trying to scan the enemy. "I think I figured out how they revive."

Mercury looked at her. "Their energy seems to fluctuate at times, but I don't know the cause."

"They can somehow move their souls around, when one dies, her soul goes into another one for a second, and then back to the first."

"So the only way to get them would be to kill all five fast enough." Mercury guessed. "Moon, come here."

Moon had no clue on how to stop these women, but she knew if anyone could do it, it would be Mercury. She walked to them and smiled. "Tell me you know how to beat these girls."

"It's hard to explain, but we need to kill the five of them very fast. I think only your tiara technique could do that." Mercury gasped as she saw Moon produce her crystal. "Don't risk yourself."

"Someone died because of those girls already," Moon said, "I want to make sure I get them."

Saturn saw Moon walk back to the battle and rose an eyebrow. "You know, my first impression of her was... Rather bad."

"She's brave and selfless when it counts."

"I see. I suppose I could get used to see her as a leader."

"And as a friend?" Mercury asked.

"I'm not good at socializing," Saturn said.

"You can change that if you want. I didn't socialize a lot before I met Usagi, I still am a bit shy around those I don't know enough, but I'm getting better at it."

"I see. I guess someday I may call you all friends."

"That would be good," Mercury admitted.

Moon was ready, but she wasn't sure about hitting them all, not while her friends were still fighting with them. "Guys, I'll take care of them."

Mars saw what Moon was holding, and smiled. "She'll do it, let's fall back."

The five youma looked at Moon, and the one in red, who was seemingly the leader, laughed. "You are strong, kid, but not strong enough to kill us all. Not that you can kill that which cannot die."

Moon took out her tiara, and the crystal lit up, its energy washing over it. "Won't know until I try, will I? Moon Tiara Flight!"

The tiara punched through the five youma, but as the last one fell, the first one was already rising. "Weakling, you cannot defeat us!"

"I already did," Moon noted.

The first youma felt something in her chest, and looked down to see a bright light coming from inside her. "What is this? What kind of cheap trick is-"

Moon smiled as all the youma were swallowed by light, and vanished. "I may not be the smartest in my group, but I guess I'm smarter than them."

"How did you do that?" Nemesis asked, walking to her.

Moon caught her tiara, and everyone saw the crystal was floating along with it. "I thought they could still revive too quickly, even if I used my tiara, so it was the crystal that attacked them instead."

Mercury was looking at her computer, analyzing Moon's attack. "Somehow, the crystal left a sort of 'beacon' inside each of them, and then poured energy into each of them at the same time, burning them from the inside."

Moon looked down. "I don't like killing, even if those were evil creatures, but..."

"We understand," Mars said. "Also, I'll admit that was quite a good plan, Usagi."

Moon smiled at her, then saw Mira talking to Dragon Sun. "Huh? Wait, how-"

"I revived her," Saturn said, "I can only do it once per person."

"How do you know that?" Moon asked.

"How did you know how to do that trick with your crystal?"

"I... Just knew it."

"Exactly."

Mercury flinched. "Guys, I think we still have another obstacle in our path."

"The Rainbow youma? I thought they would learn their lesson after the beating Princess Serenity gave them."

The seven youma appeared in front of them. "You've already proven you can defeat us all in this form, but you will not win against our true form," Arieru, the mermaid-like youma, said.

"Crap, don't tell me they're going to do what I think they're going to do," Jupiter muttered.

Mercury saw the youma vanish, the orbs forming their souls fusing into a large, black one, and shook her head. "Okay, I won't tell you."

The orb's form swiftly changed, forming a rather large monster. Its skin and tail were scaly, like a reptile's, while its head and face were humanlike, but also covered in scales. Its arms and legs ended in claws like those of a lion, and the wings in its back were black and feathery.

"A Chimera," Mercury noted. "I remember this one from _that day._"

"Hissatsu," Moon said. "Guys, let's-"

"Moon, go on without us."

"What? I won't! We need to defeat this-"

"Usagi, will you shut up and listen for once?" Mars snapped, interrupting her friend. "We will take care of this creep and join you, but you're the only one who can possibly beat Beryl."

The large youma laughed. "Fools, Beryl is ready to revive Metallia, and that pathetic kid you call a Princess won't be able to stop her on her own."

"Then I'll go with her," Tuxedo Kamen said.

"Hmph, I don't need your help."

The man frowned at her. "Will you stop acting like I'm an enemy already?"

Moon looked down. "... Sorry."

"Don't worry, we'll be okay," Dragon Mercury said, "we're not going to let this guy defeat us."

Moon looked at her friends, and then at the demon. "Fine," she said, turning around. "Let's go, Tuxedo Kamen."

Hissatsu yawned. "Okay, are you kids quite ready to be killed? I can go get a book if you're not."

"Cute, a youma with a sense of humor," Dragon Venus noted.

"And a crappy one, at that," Dragon Sun added.

The demon let out a growl, and shot a ripple of dark energy. The Senshi were all hit and knocked back by it.

The three Huntresses had minimized the blow by forming magic shields, but they all fell to their knees. "That thing's too strong for us."

Mars stood up, and saw the others were also ready to fight. "Don't worry, we'll take care of this."

Dragon Sun looked at Mira. "You shouldn't fight it, but how about giving us a bit of help?"

Mira smiled, she knew what her brother mean. "Sure."

Circe looked at Jupiter. "Why don't you try hitting that bug hard? Odin's Might."

Jupiter cracked her knuckles as she felt a rush of energy. "Worth a try."

Hissatsu couldn't believe that one single Senshi was rushing at him, trying to go melee on him, but he decided to humor her. He swung his fist, which was almost as big as her. Jupiter however leapt over it, running over his arm, and punched him in the face.

Dragon Mercury saw the large demon fall sideways and smiled. "Buff spells?"

Calisto nodded. "Useful, aren't they?"

Hissatsu stood up and held his jaw for a few seconds before laughing. "I see, you humans may still be a challenge for me. I was afraid this would be a boring fight."

Dragon Mercury smiled. "Any of you guys good with those swords?"

"I like to think I am," Dragon Venus said.

"Same here."

"Then let's slice and dice that creep."

The demon saw the three Dragons approach and smiled. "Fools." He shot another dark wave, but the dragons leapt over it. He was expecting that, and he shot another wave at the still airborne Dragons, knocking them all down.

"Brad!" Venus shouted.

Dragon Venus tried to stand up, but couldn't quite do it. "That hurt."

Dragon Mercury stood up despite the pain. "I'm going to-"

"We'll take care of it," Mercury said.

"But-"

"You can barely stand, Terry. Leave this to us, please."

Dragon Mercury nodded. "Beat him for us, girls."

The three Huntresses walked to the three Dragons as the Sailors tried to fight the demon. "Brother, that was foolish. You were never that good with a sword."

"Can it, Emi," Dragon Sun muttered.

"Let us heal you, guys, so you can go help your girlfriends."

"From human taxis to human medikits, that's an improvement," Dragon Mercury noted.

"Can I just skip this one? I don't think his sense of humor has a cure," Circe commented.

"Ouch," Dragon Mercury muttered. "It would be a honor if such a pretty young lady healed me."

"Such a charmer," Circe said, "I wonder what Ami would think if she knew you're flirting with us while she's fighting a super youma?"

He shrugged. "Just hurry up and heal us. I can't just sit down and watch them fight."

"Will do. Think Moon will defeat that Beryl woman?"

"I would risk guessing Beryl may be stronger than even Hissatsu, so as far as raw power goes, Moon can't beat her. But this is Usagi we're talking about. She won't give up so easily."

* * *

**A/N:** This may be the first time I use a single scene through a whole chapter. Or not. Too lazy to go check my old fics. In any case, next up is the final episode of the Dark Kingdom arc.

And then comes the arc which introduced my two (or one, depending on your point of view) favorite characters in Sailor Moon. Finally.

Fun fact: Cyber Moon's Dark Kingdom's arc has roughly ten more chapters than this one has, but is slightly shorter than this one is.


	26. An end to darkness

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 1: Dark Kingdom.**

**Episode 26: An end to darkness**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 23, 2013_

* * *

Moon had expected a huge, glowing disc of energy, but the so-called portal was nothing like it. A strange machine with a large platform besides it. "Don't tell me we have to use that. I'm no good with computers."

"The DD Girls and the Rainbow Youma passed through here. It must still be set to take us to the Dark Kingdom," Tuxedo Kamen said.

"Listen, you don't have to come with me."

"What, you still don't trust me?"

Moon shook her head. "It's not about trusting. I don't want to see anyone else get hurt."

"You're selfless, that's one of the few things I like about you, Princess."

"Fine, let's go to the Dark Kingdom and defeat that Beryl creep."

As they walked into the platform, Moon was wondering what else he liked about her. But then she shrugged it off. Who cared what he thought about her? A part of her mind told her that she did, but she told that part of her mind to shut up.

* * *

Beryl was watching her crystal ball and smiling wickedly. There she was, the Moon Princess, and her boy toy, Endymion. If those two fell, the other Senshi would be powerless to stop her. For a moment she considered awakening Metallia, but then she decided she needed not worry her Goddess with such weak enemies.

But it was annoying to watch the two, they had no idea where to go. Beryl was the only youma left in the castle, so those two would find no obstacles in their path, but... They were taking too long, and Beryl knew the sooner they were dealt with, the better.

She muttered a few words, and a very surprised Sailor Moon appeared near her throne, along with Tuxedo Kamen. "Welcome, Moon Princess."

"Beryl."

"Why the glare, child? It was not me who nearly destroyed mankind back there, but your mother."

"I don't care about that," Moon said. "I'm not here to make you pay for what you did to some ancient civilization. I never liked history anyhow."

Beryl was surprised to hear that. "What? Then what are you here for, child?"

"I'm here to stop you from taking over my world, to stop you from hurting more innocents. And don't call me child, my name's Usagi."

Beryl laughed. "Very well, Usagi, I see you're not quite the same as the Moon Princess I remember. I must congratulate you for besting my generals, for defeating my daughters, and-"

"Say what? Those DD Girls were your children?"

Beryl nodded, "it's a pity, they were quite fine warriors."

Moon couldn't believe it. This woman was talking about _her own children _as if they were mere tools? What kind of monster was she?

"In any case, Usagi, no, Sailor Moon, it is time for you to die."

"I don't think so. Moon Tiara Flight!"

Beryl caught the tiara with her bare hand, and examined it. "An impressive weapon, girl. Let me show you mine!"

Moon saw a large stone spear shoot straight at her, but a rose hit its side, changing its trajectory. As the spear hissed by, Moon once again wondered just what those roses were made of. "Fine, if one weapon doesn't work, then I'll try a different one!"

Tuxedo Kamen saw Moon summon a sword and charge at Beryl, but it was clear she had never used a sword before. Beryl knocked her away with a point-blank energy blast, and the man realized Moon could not win this alone. But what could he do? He couldn't fight Beryl head-on with his power. He had once been the Prince of Earth, but even then, he had been weak, at least when compared to a Senshi. He looked at Moon. Usagi Tsukino. Naive, lazy, selfish... But she had improved quite a bit, he could admit that much. And even now, with Beryl so easily overpowering her, she was not giving up.

And then he realized something. She was not giving up. So he couldn't give up, either. "I will protect you, Sailor Moon, and if these powers aren't enough, then I just have to-" he stopped as a sword appeared floating in front of him. He remembered that sword. Excalibur.

Beryl sensed something and turned around, in time to see Moon's boy toy be swallowed by light. "What in Darkness..."

"Earth Dragon Power!"

Moon stared at the new Dragon as his transformation ended. "Of course, Excalibur, the Earth Dragon Sword..."

Beryl laughed at her. "So what? What's one newbie Senshi going to do against me?"

"Power isn't everything, Beryl," Dragon Earth snapped, "but you were always too blind to realize that."

"Die!"

The Dragon looked at the stone spear flying to him dismissively, then cut it in half with his sword. The sword's blade took on a stone-like texture, and he rushed at Beryl, who was too surprised by what he had just done to be able to jump away in time.

Beryl staggered back, a shallow diagonal wound across her chest. "Damn it. Die!"

This time, a half dozen spears shot at the Dragon, who had no time to dodge them. As he fell, Moon gasped. "No! Beryl, I'm going to..."

"You're next, Moon brat, so just stand still."

"Shut up!" Moon snapped, a thin white aura forming around her body. "Moon Tiara Flight!"

Beryl saw the tiara coming straight at her, and reached for it, but the tiara corrected its course slightly, slicing her arm before making a sharp turn and hitting her from behind, knocking her to the ground. "How... It's not possible, a couple weak Senshi defeating me?"

Moon glared at her. "Time's up, Beryl. Moon Tiara Fl-"

Beryl stood up slowly, smiling. Moon had fallen to her knees as she tried to summon her attack, which meant she was out of energy. "What a pity, you thought your fate was to defeat me, and instead, your fate is to be found dead, right next to your lover."

Moon tried to stand up, but she was exhausted. "No, I can't fail, I..."

"Die already!" The blast knocked Moon away, over Dragon Earth's body, and she hit the far wall of the room. Beryl saw Moon wasn't moving and smiled. "That was the best the Senshi had to offer? I'm disappointed." She just had to awaken Metallia, it would not matter if Hissatsu defeated the other Senshi or not once her Goddess was back.

The Dark Kingdom was about to win this war, a war which had started countless centuries before. She chuckled as she walked out of the room. So much for Pluto's rant about destiny.

* * *

Venus knew things were not working as planned. Most of the Senshi were down, and the Huntresses were out of power, so they couldn't buff the few that still stood. Nemesis and Saturn were still up, mostly due to being one level above the others, and she... She had a small cut in her arm, and her mind kept telling her to just let the others do the fighting, but she would not go down yet. Usagi was counting on them to take care of this freak and go help her, and she wouldn't disappoint her. She had known the other blonde for a short time, but they had quickly become friends. "Damn it, let's give it another try."

"Grim Edge!"

"Nightsh- Ugh."

Saturn's blast hit Hissatsu, and it staggered back. They had weakened him, but Nemesis was out of power, and it seemed like Saturn had just run out of juice too.

"Aww, that's so pitiful, to have come this far and fail so close to your goal," Hissatsu taunted. "Just let me rest for a minute and I'll end your misery, Senshi."

Venus paled. Was this it? Were they too weak to deal with this monster? Maybe sending Moon away had been a mistake, if she was here... No, they couldn't depend on Sailor Moon to save the day each and every time, they were all supposed to be warriors. She couldn't defeat this demon with her current power, so... "That's too bad, youma, your time's already up. Venus Twilight Power!"

Hissatsu unconsciously took a step back. He knew it, he could not take another blast from a Senshi at that level. He would just have to dodge, and-

"Death Grasp."

Large skeletal arms rose from the ground, holding the demon. "What? Damn it, stupid Senshi, why don't you play fair?"

"Youma never did, I'm just returning the favor," Saturn said.

Venus was done transforming, and glared at the creature. She had nothing to say to it, so she just rose her hands. "Venus..." A ball of light appeared floating above her hands, and she lowered them slowly, the light going into her gloves. "Twilight..." By the time her open palms were aiming at Hissatsu, the light ball was gone, but her gloves were shining with a blinding light. "V-Laser!"

The result was, Saturn had to admit, very impressive. A beam of light almost as tall as Venus shot forth, punching a hole right through the creature's chest. Hissatsu looked down in shock, then vanished.

Venus staggered back, but managed to stay on her feet. "Okay, let's go help Moon."

"Who died and made her leader?" Jupiter muttered.

Mars stood up. "She's right, though. Let's go and find Usagi before she gets all the glory."

Mercury smiled at Mars. It was obvious she was worried sick about her friend, but Mars would not admit to it.

* * *

It took the Senshi a minute to reach the portal, and Mars turned to look at the three Huntresses. "Girls, stay here."

"What? No, we'll go with you, we can still-"

"As stubborn as Usagi," Mars said. "We don't know what we'll face in there, so... Stay here, and if we don't come back, I want you to go and warn the world about the youma."

"What, is that an order?" Calisto asked.

"No, it's a request," Mars said. "I know Usagi would have told you the same. We will try our best to win, but someone has to protect the world if we fail."

Mira looked down. "Damn it, it's not fair!"

"Emi, we don't have time for this," Dragon Sun said.

Mercury was scanning the portal with her visor. "That's an understatement. Something in there is leaking a lot of energy out. Whatever they're doing in there, it won't be good."

Mira shook her head. "Fine, you guys go there alone, but be careful."

Mars nodded. "We won't give up."

Circe looked at the other two. "We have plenty of energy left to teleport back home, don't we?"

"What do you... Oh!" Calisto said. "Let's do it."

"Selene's Gift!" the three Huntresses shouted in unison.

The Senshi could feel the effect immediately, and Mercury frowned. "You... Gave us your mana?"

"We still have enough to go back home, but you guys will need the rest of it more than we will."

"Let's just go, our leader is waiting," Saturn said in her usual monotone.

"You heard the robot," Jupiter joked.

"Cyborg, actually," Saturn corrected her as they all stepped into the platform, and vanished.

"They're a weird bunch, aren't they?" Circe noted.

"You're saying that like we're normal," Calisto said.

* * *

As soon as she woke up, a wave of pain hit her, and she remembered what had happened before she was knocked out. She tried to stand up, but her legs hurt too much. She could see him lying there, however, not moving, not even breathing. Did it really matter that he had been rude to her a few times? He had saved her from the youma time and again, he had helped her friends, and he had tried to help her beat Beryl.

She didn't hate him, but did he know that? It didn't matter, it was too late now, he was- She heard footsteps and thought Beryl had come back to finish her, but she then saw her friends walk in, and gasped. "Guys, you did it!"

"Moon, what happened? Where's Beryl? Who's that?"

"We tried to fight her, but she was too strong. Tuxedo... Mamoru became Dragon Earth, we nearly killed Beryl, but she killed him and knocked me out. She must have thought she had killed me too."

Saturn looked at her. "I can bring him back."

Moon sighed. "I know. I... I think I need to apologize to him."

Mercury looked to the side and grimaced. "That will have to wait. Saturn, revive him fast, we can't waste a second."

"What-"

"From what my computer's telling me, I can guess Metallia is coming."

Saturn knelt besides the Dragon and put a hand on his forehead. Again, light surrounded her and her target, and he opened his eyes, confusion creeping into his face. "Welcome back," she said in her usual monotone.

"Thanks for helping me, Mamoru," Moon said. "Unfortunately, Beryl knocked me out before I could finish her."

"It's not over yet," he said, "let's find her."

"She's down this corridor," Mercury said.

"Time to hail the queen," Dragon Mercury said.

"Hail..." Mars said, knowing it was a pun on his element. "That was dumb."

"Thanks, I try."

Moon walked past them. "Let's go, guys, I won't let her run away again."

* * *

It took the Senshi a couple minutes to reach their goal. They walked into a large chamber, and saw Beryl standing near a very large, black cocoon.

"Imagine the size of the chicken that laid that egg," Dragon Venus joked.

Beryl glared at the Senshi, noticing two of them she had left for dead. "Damn, can't you stay dead?"

"You know us Senshi, it takes much more than killing us to kill us," Dragon Mercury said.

Beryl blinked at that. "Sounds stupid, but is still true. Oh well, I'll just have to make sure you stay dead this time around."

"Give up, Beryl, you're going to lose if you fight us."

"I admit that is a possibility, but I won't face you alone. Metallia, awaken from your slumber and bring death to those opposing you!"

A black mist seeped out of the cocoon, forming a cloud which stood there, floating meters above Beryl's head. "Beryl, I can't help you fight like this, my energy is unstable."

Beryl was shocked to hear that. "What? Metallia, you cannot fail me! I have not come this far to fail at the last minute because you're too sleepy to-"

"Silence!" Metallia's voice was nearly a growl, and it caused Beryl to stop talking. "What is this, little queen? You think you can tell a goddess what to do? You dare treating me like your lackey?"

"If you can't help me, then I have no use for you, Metallia."

The cloud laughed at that. "No, Beryl, you're wrong. It is I who has no use for you. But I can still use your body."

Before Beryl could react, the dark mist started pouring into her, through her mouth, nose and ears. She screamed in pain as a dark aura surrounded her, and her body grew larger, until it broke through the chamber's roof. "Bow to your goddess, humans!"

Moon looked up at the creature. "What was all that about?"

"Metallia took over Beryl's body," Mercury explained. "Beryl's gone."

"So, how do we deal with Berylzilla?" Dragon Mercury asked.

"I'm not trying to melee that thing," Jupiter said.

"You will not defeat me," the woman said, "I will kill you all, and my youma will erase mankind for good."

"You won't kill anyone," Moon said, summoning her crystal.

Metallia took a step back as Moon glared at her. "What... You can't be this strong!"

A large white beam shot from Moon's body, but Metallia shot a beam just as large, only difference being it was purple. The two beams pushed each other back and forth, as the two women tried to overpower each other. "I must admit you're as strong as I am," Moon said.

"Hah! I'm stronger than you, petty Moon Princess."

"You're not, because I have friends I can trust." She smiled as she said that. "Guys, please, I need your help to win."

The other Senshi all shot their attacks at the youma giant. On their own, they would not have been enough to hurt her, but they caused Metallia's beam to waver, and Moon's one gained the advantage. "No! Damn you, I won't be defeated by a Serenity, not again!"

"You will," Moon said. "Moon Prism Power!"

And Metallia sensed something she couldn't believe was true. Her enemy's beam grew even stronger. Before she could think of anything else to do, it had already punched through her own attack, and it washed over her, blasting her to atoms.

Moon fell backwards, but Dragon Earth caught her before she hit the ground. "Finally, it's over."

The Dragon looked at her. "I know we've both been shouting at each other quite a bit lately, but would you be willing to start over?"

Moon didn't answer, instead walking away from him. She only took a few steps, however, before turning around and smiling at him. "As long as you're nice to me."

"I'll try, odango."

Moon frowned at the nickname, but then shook her head.

Venus looked around. "Hey, anyone else noticed the change in scenery?"

The others looked around. They were no longer in the creepy castle, but back in the north pole. The 'portal' was right next to them, but it was completely wrecked, and the cavern's roof was nowhere to be seen. "Guess all that energy throwing wrecked the place," Nemesis commented.

"It sure did," Mira said as the three Huntresses walked to them. "We had to get away from the cavern when energy started leaking out of that portal. The explosion would have given us a nice, unnatural tan."

"Question, how are we going to get back home?" Mars asked.

The others looked quite lost. "We have no energy to get you back home," Mira said.

"And I can guess we're all too tired to use the Sailor Teleport," Mercury added.

"Huh? Did the Mooncats send us on a one-way trip?" Moon asked, her mood growing bad quite quickly. Then she heard Dragon Mercury laugh, and glared at him. "What's so funny?"

"The Mooncats didn't tell you this because I asked them not to, but I got one of my dad's planes to come pick us up. It's been circling the north pole for a while, and I've already signaled them to come here. It should be here in about five minutes."

"... You could have told us that, _jerk!_" Moon said, the last word in English.

"And miss the look in your faces when you thought you were stuck here?" the Dragon said. "Oh, by the way, Moon, your English is getting better."

Mars glared at him, and a small flame appeared in her hand. "Girls, I don't know about you, but I think he needs to be punished for this."

Jupiter had electricity running up and down her arms. "I agree."

Dragon Mercury took a step back, then looked at Moon. "_Rabbit_, tell your friends to stop joking."

Moon took out her tiara, which lit up. "No, I actually agree with them this time around."

The Dragon saw Mercury had a small ice ball in her hand, and grimaced. "Hey, sorry about this, I swear I won't joke like this again!"

"Let's give him a five seconds lead, okay girls?" Moon said.

The Dragon had took off running even before Moon was done saying that. "Wow, he sure can run fast," Nemesis noted.

"You were joking, though, right girls?" Dragon Sun asked.

"Maybe we were, maybe we weren't," Moon said.

"As the saying goes," Venus noted, "Hell hath no fury like a woman stranded in the north pole."

"That's not how the saying goes, Minako," Dragon Venus muttered.

"You guys are a weird group," Saturn said in her usual monotone. "That's good, I can fit right in."

"I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult," Jupiter said.

"Knowing Hotaru, it could be both," Dragon Sun commented.

Moon sighed. "Someone should go get him."

"Ami should go, they can have some fun in the snow," Mars said.

"Rei!" Mercury hissed, turning an interesting shade of red.

Dragon Venus shrugged. "Wisp Portal."

Dragon Mercury appeared near him, looking around in confusion. "What the heck?"

"Accept your punishment," Mars said.

Saturn looked at Mars. "You shouldn't pick on those weaker than you."

Dragon Mercury stared at her. "... Ouch. You're blunt, girl, I like that." He suddenly fell flat on his face. "Hey!"

Dragon Sun shrugged. "Oops."

"Kage, you don't need to do that," Saturn said, "next time he tries to flirt I'll just chop him to pieces with my glaive."

"Uh, I'll pass," the Dragon said, then looked at Mercury, who was staring at him. He heard a familiar noise and smiled. "Okay, here's our ride."

"I must admit that your idea of transportation is plane awesome," Dragon Venus said as he saw the large plane heading their way.

"Plane..." Venus shook her head. "Brad, seriously, don't make me laser you."

* * *

**A/N:** The anime Senshi had an easier time leaving the North Pole. They just died and woke up in their beds, at home. Darn those cheaters.

Yes, that was sarcasm.

And yes, Dragon Earth's Excalibur is _that _Excalibur. Expect many other weapons of legend to be weapons of Senshi.


	27. Toy robot

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 27: Toy robot.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 24, 2013_

* * *

One month had passed since the defeat of the Dark Kingdom, and the Senshi had recovered from that war. Pluto looked at Tokyo from her post and smiled. The Senshi didn't know it, but she had been the one bringing them back from that place, and she had closed the link between both worlds. It could be opened again, someday, but she knew that wouldn't happen for a long time.

But peace wouldn't last much longer. And she would be ready to help them, when the time was right.

* * *

"So, if we're not going to the mansion, where are you taking us?"

"Patience, we're almost there," Terry said. He had told the others he had something to show them, and he sure did.

"Almost there?" Mako mused. "Then I think I know what it is."

"And here we are."

Usagi looked at the dojo. It had looked quite run down and old last time she saw it, but now its outside seemed brand-new. "Wow."

"That's not the best part," Terry said. "Wait to see what's inside."

"I still don't know how we'll train in there," Mako noted.

"Let's just say your uncle inspired me, in a way. Or whoever built his base."

As they walked in, the others all looked around. "Uhm, there's not a lot of stuff up here," Naru said.

"And the place's quite small," Rei added. "Smaller than it looks from the outside."

"That's because what you're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. And that's not just a figure of speech."

Brad shrugged. "I already know what you did, I just want to know how to get there."

Terry walked to a wall and put a hand on it. A panel slid to the side, revealing a staircase. "Okay, let's go." The stairs went down a few meters, and ended in a large door. The door opened, and everyone saw a large elevator waiting for them.

"An elevator? But this building's only one story high."

Brad smiled at Minako. "Upwards, it is. Downwards, however..."

Minako (and many others) finally understood what the elevator was for. "Wow, so it's an underground base?"

"Cool, did you also build giant robots?" Kage joked.

"Not yet," Terry joked back, "why isn't Tomoe tagging along?"

"She had to visit an old friend," Kage said. A very old friend, although Kage would never tell that to that person's face.

Everyone had already walked into the elevator, which was large enough to fit a few dozen people without getting crowded. "Okay, ladies and gentlemen, get ready to meet your new favorite place in the city," Terry said as he pressed a button and the doors closed.

* * *

The house was abandoned, but Hotaru knew it would be the one place where she could, in a way, find her. She unlocked the door and walked in, noticing the house was dark and dusty. It somehow made her feel uneasy, Even a bit sad.

"I apologize for not keeping this place clean, but I'm a rather busy woman."

Hotaru turned and saw Setsuna standing there, smiling at her. "Been a while."

"You would not be here if you didn't want to speak to me."

"You must already know what I'm going to ask, right?"

Setsuna stared at her. "I thought you knew my power doesn't work that way."

"It was a joke. Guess I'm not that good at them."

"No, I just wasn't expecting you to joke. I think being around Kage's good for you."

"I've talked to the others too. They don't seem like a bad group to be with."

Setsuna nodded. "So, what are you worried about?"

"First off, I don't think the youma are the only threat out there. Am I right?"

"Yes. I can't tell you what you will face next, or how long you will be fighting it, but there will be more enemies to fight."

"And it will be soon."

"Yes."

"Okay, and my second question was about my power. Why is it I can only revive people once?"

"I can't answer that, because even the ancient Senshi could never really understand how and why their powers worked the way they did."

"It just doesn't seem fair. What if Hiyama or Chiba die again?"

"There are others who could also revive them, if it happens."

Hotaru's eyes widened. "Of course, Dragon Saturn. Do you know who he is?"

"Yes, and I can't tell you."

"I suspected as much."

"And my third question is a bit... Well, I think you'll be surprised. But should I take my relationship with Kage more seriously?"

"I can't tell you what to do in that area, Hotaru. But like and love are different things, and sometimes, unfortunately, one doesn't become the other. It's up to you both whether or not you stay together."

"I see. Thanks for taking time to listen to my questions, Setsuna."

"That's what friends do, and I also wanted to give you something," Pluto said, then reached out her hand, and a small, white key was resting on it. "Here."

"What is this?"

"It will let you go to where I can usually be found."

"Oh? I thought only the Senshi of Pluto could get in and out of there whenever they wanted."

"There are always exceptions to a rule. Any Moon Senshi with enough power eventually figures out how to go in and out, but if one of us Pluto Senshi considers someone trustworthy enough, then we can give them one of those keys."

"Trustworthy?"

"It's not to be used as a toy, or to change what already happened," Setsuna explained.

Hotaru looked at the small key in her hand. "Like going back and stopping a certain car from hitting a certain woman... I could go and do it, you know?"

Setsuna nodded. "But you won't. If I didn't trust you enough, then I wouldn't give this to you."

Hotaru looked down. "It hurts to know I'll never see her face other than in pictures, but... You're right. It's in the past. My past."

Setsuna smiled. "I know. Tell Kage I said hi."

"Will do."

* * *

"Color me impressed," Brad admitted.

Mako was looking around. The place was huge, one could play a football match in there. There was actual gym equipment around, but the main 'attraction' was the large area in the middle of the room, which had a white flooring and enough room for several training fights to be fought at the same time. "How did you get this built in such a short time?"

"You can't kill an evil alien queen by throwing money at her, but old plain cash can still get some amazing things done if you have enough of it."

"... You _could _kill an evil alien queen with money, though," Brad said.

Minako stared at him. "You're joking, right?"

"No, imagine tossing a million dollars at Beryl in one cent coins..."

"Death by being crushed by a million dollars. Totally worth it," Terry said.

Mako walked to the training area. "Okay, now I want to fight."

Minako walked to her. "Let's do this."

While Minako and Mako had a friendly fight, Ami was checking a computer console. "This doesn't look like a normal computer."

Terry smiled. "It's not a normal computer." He pressed a button on the console, and the far wall of the room lit up, showing a map of Tokyo.

"That's the second largest monitor I've ever seen," Kage mused.

Ami smiled as she saw the monitor. "You really used my idea."

"Of course."

"What idea?"

Terry looked at Naru. "Ami's been helping me figure out how mana works, and I've managed to build a scanner strong enough to pick on mana readings all around the city. It's not perfect, but it could, in theory, know when one of you is using an attack anywhere in the city. It can only detect mana when it's actively used, though."

"In theory?"

"Can't know if it works until one of you goes out there and shoots an attack."

"Cool, maybe the pyro can go burn something."

Rei looked at Kage. "I don't like that nickname."

Kage smiled. "Sorry, no offense intended."

"Just don't use it again, I wouldn't want to tell Hotaru that I accidentally bunrt your hair off."

"Yeah, I'll pass."

"Hell yeah!"

Everyone turned to the center of the room, and saw Minako giving a victory sign, while Mako sat on the ground, out of air.

"How did that happen?" Terry asked.

Brad chuckled. "Minako can't hit hard, but her dodging skills are impressive."

"I... Agree," Mako said as she stood up. "I suppose knocking your opponent down is not the only way to win a fight."

Minako rubbed her arm. "You're not a soft hitter at all, good thing you only hit me a couple times."

Usagi was looking at a weapons rack near the elevator. She picked up a wooden sword and examined it. "Are these decorative?"

Terry chuckled. "No, these are for training."

"I can't use a sword."

"You don't know how to use one, it's not something you learn overnight," Terry explained, "but you have the Moon Dragon sword with you, right?"

"Yeah."

"You should learn how to use it. "

"Will you teach me?"

"Yeah, I wouldn't have built this place if I didn't intend to teach you girls a few things about combat."

Rei was checking a practice bow a few meters away from them. "What about Hakko?"

"No idea, he's not easy to find," Terry admitted. "Hey, Rei, can you really use one of those?"

Rei smiled and picked up an arrow. Its tip was blunt, but she knew they would still hurt if they hit someone. "I took archery classes when I was little."

Terry smiled. "Think you can hit me from the other side of the room?"

Rei shook her head. "I'm not _that _good."

Terry summoned his Mercury sword. "Fine, just shoot at me from there."

"Wait, that's dangerous!"

"I know the risks, but trust me."

Usagi sighed and stepped back. "Okay, I just hope we don't have to call Hotaru."

"Me too," Terry said. "Okay Rei, any time you're ready!"

Rei frowned. "Hope you know how to dodge."

Terry smiled as the arrow shot, and used his sword to split it in half. "Why dodge?"

Rei blinked a few time before shaking her head. "Showoff."

"Showing off is the best way of showing how."

Usagi looked at him. "Is that another think Hakko told you?"

"No, that one's all mine."

Ami sighed. Terry worried her, sometimes. She looked at the monitor and gasped. "I think the scanner works, but..."

Terry saw the red spot on the map. "That's quite close."

"Yes, and the computer says it's fire magic. Up to a first level Senshi's power. Could be one of the Hunters. And there's also death magic, Twilight level power. Saturn is there."

"We should go, they may need help," Usagi said.

Kage nodded. "She can take care of herself, but if there's a new threat out there, it means we'll be back in action sooner than we thought."

"I hoped the youma were the only evil out there," Usagi commented.

"Come on, you never read any magical girl manga? There's always something else to fight out there."

"You're saying that as if we were in some fiction story," Mako said with a half-smile.

* * *

Hotaru was heading back home, but her mind was only partially paying attention to the road. She was still thinking about wat Setsuna had told her. She would need to talk to Kage next time she saw him.

"Target located."

The voice was robotic, and as Hotaru turned to its source, she was surprised to see a robotic creature staring at her. An android? It had metal 'skin' and green, glowing eyes, and it was clear to Hotaru that it meant _her _when it mentioned a target. "I don't suppose you will let me change for the party."

"Fire Soul."

Hotaru dove to the side, and the fire beam barely missed her, hitting a truck and setting it aflame. "That's Mars' technique. How can this thing..."

"Fire Soul."

Hotaru dodged again, and looked around. The few bystanders that had been around when the robot appeared were either running away, or already gone. She hid behind a car and summoned her glaive. "I suppose evil showed up much sooner than I thought," she said. "Saturn Twilight Power!"

The creature saw Saturn leap on top of a car's roof, and aimed its hand at her. "Fire Soul."

Saturn deflected the blast with her glaive and sighed. "Don't you have another attack to use, Artoo?"

"My name is Omega," the creature said. "Supreme Thunder."

Saturn tried to deflect the lightning blast, but the electricity run through her glaive and zapped her. "That's what I get for asking," she muttered.

"Dark Core."

"Grim Wave." Saturn's attack punched through the creature's one, and knocked it back. A part of its metal plating was bent inwards, and it stopped moving for several seconds. "I think I broke this toy robot."

"Structural damage detected. Mission compromised. Returning to base. Teleport."

Saturn saw the creature vanish and turned to leave, but saw most of the Senshi were walking to her. "You're late."

"Who was that?"

"Some sort of android, it said its name was Omega and it used magic. But it was Senshi magic."

"What? I thought only us could use it."

Saturn nodded at Venus. "That's true. The only logical explanation for this is that someone, somehow, gathered our DNA, our genetic code, and used it to create that creature."

"... Sounds like one crazy theory to me," Jupiter noted.

"I'm the daughter of a mad scientist, I know how mad scientists work."

"Okay, since Saturn scared off that tin man, let's go back to the base."

"Wait, we have a base?" Saturn asked.

"Yeah, and you and Chiba are the only ones who don't know it yet," Dragon Mercury said. "Well, the Huntresses, too, but they're not Senshi."

"Interesting."

"Think that thing will be back?" Mars asked.

"I hope it does, maybe we can scan it next time and know who is sending it."

* * *

"That was a failure."

"Not quite. I can repair the Omega and send it out there again, but I never expected it to be able to beat one of those upgraded Senshi. I must get samples of them first."

"The Senshi will be expecting its attack now."

"I know that. But tell me, if we already know who they are, why not kill them while they sleep?"

"First off, because I want to see them go down fighting, struggling against something they can't beat. And second... Well, you know all too well what happened to the one Dark Kingdom general who tried to take them by surprise."

"That was just a coincidence."

"Indeed, but coincidences seem to happen much too often around them."

* * *

Hotaru leaned on her glaive and looked down at the guy. "I told you."

"I never doubted your word," Terry said as he stood up, "but I have this birth defect, fighting against someone I know is better than me is something I enjoy. Who taught you to use a glaive like that?"

"If I told you, I would have to kill you," Hotaru said.

"... I guess you're trying to get better at joking."

"Wasn't joking." She walked out of the 'arena' and then looked at Kage. "We need to talk."

"Yes sir!" Kage said with a fake military salute.

"I'm serious," Hotaru noted.

Kage nodded slowly. "I know. Let's go."

Terry walked to Ami, who was again using the base's computer. "Like what you see?"

"I think it's quite good, but the scanners still don't work as they should."

Usagi walked to them. "I don't quite like it. We can only know something's out there once it starts shooting at people?"

"It's the best I could do," Terry admitted, "maybe Ami will find a way around it."

"I'll give it a try, at least," Ami said.

* * *

Kage knew better than rushing things when Hotaru was involved, but they had walked for a good ten minutes, and she still didn't say a word. "So...?"

"Kage, do you really think of me as your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

The answer was quick, and that surprised Hotaru a bit. "Then, why is it we've never dated?"

"I didn't want to rush into things."

"Two months," Hotaru noted. "I think that's slow enough."

"You're saying you want to go on a date?"

"I'm saying I like you, but I'm still not sure if that will ever turn into..."

Kage smiled as she fell silent. "I see. Say, there's a movie I know you'll like, and it starts in about one hour. What do you think?"

"It's a date," Hotaru said with a smile.

"You look pretty when you smile, you should do it more."

Hotaru could feel her cheeks heating up. "Guess I should."

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, Hotaru got a time key from Pluto. Hear that? That's the sound of canon shattering to pieces. Oops, my bad.

Fun pointless fact: This fic (counting the first book and what's done of this one) now has nearly one third of Cyber Moon's total size. How many words will this thing have when it's done? To quote a certain toy astronaut, "infinity and beyond!"


	28. A bug's life

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 28: A bug's life.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 25, 2013_

* * *

"I'm not joking, I swear I saw them."

Hotaru walked out of the elevator and saw everyone fall silent. Well, 'everyone' was a figure of speech, since only a few of the girls were there. "Hello."

"Hi, Hotaru. Anything interesting going on?"

She looked at Usagi. "No, no other enemy attacks yet."

Minako giggled. "That's not what she meant. I saw you yesterday, at the movie theater."

"Oh, that," Hotaru said dismissively. "That's what couples do, right?"

"We didn't think you would be the dating type," Mako admitted.

Hotaru walked to a rack and picked up a practice staff. "I think you should be worrying about your own boyfriends, or lack thereof, instead."

"Ouch," Mako muttered. "So, you're not going to give us any details?"

"Why should I?"

"She has a point," Ami said. She was again trying to take all the bugs out of the computer, and not having quite as much success as she would like. "I know Terry's not here, but why don't you try training instead of just sitting there doing nothing?"

"Haven't seen _you _train at all," Mako countered.

"Is that a challenge?"

Usagi looked at Hotaru. "We do need the training. Since Terry's not around, and you look like you've trained on your own..."

"For being nosy, I shall punish you," Hotaru said.

"That's my line."

"I know," Hotaru said with a smile.

"Aaah, she's smiling, run for the hills!" Mako shouted.

"If that was a joke, it was dumb," Hotaru said.

Usagi had grabbed a pair of wooden chakrams. "I'm ready."

"Why not a sword?"

"I'm better with these."

Ami looked at Mako. "Let's watch this, it could be interesting."

"I don't think those disks can beat a staff," Mako said.

"It all depends. Usagi can throw them, but I don't know if she can really fight with them."

Hotaru attacked first, going for Usagi's midsection, but Usagi blocked her strike with one chakram, then used the other to slice Hotaru's arm. That caused her to drop her staff, and Usagi tried to hit her with her weapons, but Hotaru blocked them with her bare hands.

"She's good."

"You mean Hotaru or Usagi?" Minako asked.

"Yes," Mako said.

Hotaru dove forwards, grabbing her staff and bringing it up, knocking one of Usagi's weapons away. As she stood up, She tried to 'stab' Usagi's chest with her weapon, but Usagi dodged, tossing her weapon at her and hitting her in the stomach.

Usagi looked up in time to see her other weapon falling down, and caught it, turning to see what Hotaru's next move would be. However, she saw Hotaru kneeling on the ground and grimaced. "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Hotaru said, "but my endurance is low, and I didn't expect you to be _that _good with chakrams. Who taught you to use them like that?"

"Nobody did."

Hotaru stared at the blonde. "You're joking."

"She's not," Ami said, "you could call it talent."

"Where's Terry?"

Ami sighed. "He said he had something to do, and that being around so many cute girls would distract him from it."

"I still can't figure out that guy," Hotaru noted.

"Welcome to the club," Mako said. "He's not that bad when you get to know him."

"Why is he flirting with everyone, though, if it's clear he's only interested in one of you?"

Ami smiled. "I've asked him, he said it's in his blood." As Hotaru stared at her, she asked. "Yes, I know he likes me, he knows I like him, but we're just..."

"Don't have to explain that to me," Hotaru noted, "after I knew what was 'wrong' with Kage, I realized he had been like that for weeks."

"Maybe we should just lock Ami and Terry in a room until they tell each other what they feel," Mako joked.

Ami blushed, then looked at the large monitor. "Uh, not to switch topics or anything, but we got another incident going right now."

"That Omega thing again?"

"Can't tell from here. We should go and see."

* * *

Maria was glad things had been peaceful for a while. Although, on the other hand, they could be sent to another area if no real threat showed up, and that did make her enjoy peace a bit less than she would have wanted to. She would miss Emi and Aki if they were split, and also the Senshi. She had heard rumors about the Senshi fighting a robot, but she couldn't find any actual proof of it.

She stopped walking as she heard screams. Looking down the street, she could see what the screaming was about, a monster as tall as her was attacking civilians, seemingly draining them. It looked like a mantis, she realized with a smirk. "And here I forgot the insecticide." _'Emi, Aki, there's a man-sized mantis attacking. Think you can help me squash it?'_

A few seconds later, Mira and Circe appeared near her. She had already changed for the party, as she saw civilians were too busy running away or being drained to notice. "That's not a youma, right?"

Mira shook her head. "It's magic is different."

"Let's ask it. Hey, ugly!"

The creature looked at them, and then started shouting at them in an unknown language.

"Same to you, pal," Circe snapped.

The mantis blinked at that, then let out a noise which sounded close to a chuckle. "I apologize, I forget you primitive creatures have primitive languages."

"A bug with manners, how nice," Calisto said.

"Bolt."

The insect was hit by the lightning blast, but didn't seem to notice. "Was that meant to do harm?"

"As a matter of fact..."

"Stone."

A huge rock shot at the mantis, but it just split it in half with its massive scythe. "You're too weak to fight me."

"No, we were just fooling around. Flame Wheel."

The mantis was hit by a large fire disc, and it set it aflame. It let out a screech and jumped into a nearby fountain. "I will have to kill you for that, humans!"

"I doubt it."

"Hah! You will never defeat the might of Cigale!"

"Seriously, an overgrown bug? That's the new evil in town?"

The three Huntresses looked up to see Dragon Mercury floating above the scene, in a blue board. "Where are the others?"

"Some at the base, some elsewhere, but I don't think we need them for this."

"I agree. Thor's Light!" Mira's large lightning bolt was deflected by the mantis' scythe, and blew a store's front wall to dust. "Oops."

"Icycle Spray." The mantis again used its scythe to deflect the attack. "I'm starting to see the problem," Dragon Mercury commented, then leapt off his board, falling sword-first at the creature. It blocked him with its 'weapons' and then tried to slash him in half, but the Dragon blocked that.

"... I forgot to bring some popcorn," Circe commented after the mantis and the Dragon had spent a whole minute trying to slice each other to bits.

"You're good with those scythes, freak, but here's one little tip I can give you: Pay attention to the sword." As he said that, the Dragon tossed one of his swords up, but the mantis guessed what the trick was, and didn't pay attention to it.

"Foolish human, you will never trick me that easi-" The mantis stopped its gloating as it felt a sharp pain in its right scythe, and screeched in pain. The sword which Dragon Mercury had tossed up had fallen back, still spinning, and cut one of the creature's scythe off. "Damn it, now I'll kill you until you're dead from it!"

The Dragon blocked the scythe and chuckled. "Tip number three, never give your back to three foes who can turn you into roasted mantis."

"What do you-"

"Flamewheel."

"Hailstorm."

"Thor's Light."

Calisto looked at the spot where the mantis had been and smiled. "I ate chocolate ants once, I wonder how that thing would taste..." She saw her two friends giving her shocked stares and shrugged. "You guys and your weak stomachs..."

"Target located."

Dragon Mercury looked down at the android, which had appeared out of nowhere. "Great, now Robocop wants to fight too."

"What the heck's that thing?" Circe asked.

"An android, and it can..."

"Crescent Beam."

"... Use our attacks."

"Maybe someone was such a fan of you guys, that he built himself a Senshi?"

"Fire Soul."

Dragon Mercury dodged again. "Okay Treepio, time to beat you down."

Again, the three Huntresses watched as the Dragon went melee on an enemy. The robot didn't have swords, but its arms were apparently strong enough to block a sword. "He thinks he's Mushashi."

"Wow, we got here before it ended."

Mira turned to see a few Senshi running their way. "We're just done frying a giant mantis," she explaining, pointing at the burnt mark near them, which was still smoking, "but then this reject from Mazinger showed up."

"Hey, need some help?"

Dragon Mercury shrugged as he dodged a punch from the robot. "No, I'll just keep hitting its arms until my swords go blunt."

"Moon Tiara Flight!"

The attack hit the creature, who was too focused on its current foe to dodge. The tiara hit it several times before returning to Moon's hands, and as she knelt on the ground, she smiled. "Finish it, guys."

"I can handle this." The Dragon leapt forwards, summoning his attack as he did. "Icycle Spray."

"Supreme Thunder. Icycle Spray."

The first attack cancelled the Dragon's one, and the second hit him dead on, sending him flying back and into a wall. He sank to the ground and didn't move.

"Terry!"

"Let's get that tin man," Venus said.

"Saturn, go check on him," Mercury said, "this one's mine."

Venus was about to protest, but saw Mercury had a thin blue aura around her. "Do it, Mercury."

"Mercury Twilight Power!"

Saturn was done healing the Dragon. "You should have left the others help."

"That thing just got lucky," the Dragon muttered.

"I'm serious. Your friends worry about you when you do that kind of things. And look at Mercury."

"Huh? She's powering up, why?"

"I suppose seeing you get smashed into a wall caused that," Saturn said.

"She's going to kick that robot's ass."

"That quite sums it up," Saturn admitted. "Listen, I may not be good at romance, but you two should really talk to each other about-"

"I know."

Mercury was, by now, done transforming. She looked at the android and then rose her hands. "Mercury..." A large ball of ice formed above her hands, and as she spun, it started glowing blue. "... Snow..." She crossed her arms in front of her chest while spinning, and the ice ball floated down until it was hovering in front of her. "... Spray!" Mercury sliced the ice with her hands, and it broke into many tiny fragments, which shoot at her foe.

"Fire Soul."

"Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter used her own attack to block the android's one. "You're not getting away from that, robbie."

As the attack hit the android, its skin turned blue, and it stopped moving. The others saw Mercury walking up to it, and they saw she had the Mercury Dragon sword in her hand. She gave her foe a short glare before using the sword to neatly cut it in half. "Die already."

"Seriously, I'm never messing with Ami after seeing that," Jupiter commented as the robot exploded.

Mercury walked to where the Dragon was, and smiled. "Here, had to borrow it for a bit."

The Dragon took the sword and smiled back. "Thanks, and sorry for worrying you, Ami."

Mercury looked at Saturn, then at him. "We... I think we need to talk."

The Dragon nodded, then looked at the others. "Guys, we'll walk back to the base, you go ahead."

"You have a base?" Mira asked.

"Since yesterday," Moon explained. "Know the old Kakushin dojo?"

Mira nodded. "Sure, let's go. Mass Teleport!"

* * *

Moon looked around. They were near the dojo, but that wasn't what surprised her. "Mira, you..."

"I've been training, too," Mira said, then staggered back. "Ugh."

"Shouldn't overdo it," Circe said.

"Okay, let's show them our dungeon," Jupiter joked.

"Dungeon?"

"You'll understand when you see it."

* * *

Ami and Terry had been walking for several minutes, silently. Terry suddenly stopped and shook his head. "It's happening again, I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"It took me months to tell her how I..." Terry fell silent for a moment, but then smiled. "Ami, I like you. No, it's more than just like."

Ami blushed. "I like you too."

"Just 'like'?" Terry asked.

Ami looked down. "No."

Terry smiled at her. "Don't worry, you don't have to say it."

"Can you promise me you won't risk yourself like that again?"

"Sorry, I can't."

"Then I'll just have to protect you."

"Heh, Hana used to say the same thing." He noticed Ami flinching. "Uh, sorry."

Ami shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. I'm not going to ask you to forget her." She paused for a few seconds as they walked, then smiled. "Let's go back to the base."

"They'll be nagging us about this for hours."

"I don't mind. That's what friends do."

* * *

Usagi saw her two friends walk in and smiled. "Hey guys. So...?"

"So, what?" Terry asked.

"You know what I mean," Usagi said. The other girls in the base nodded at that.

Terry smiled and put an arm around Ami's waist. "Make an educated guess."

"Way to go, guys!" Mako said.

"I still think you girls should be worrying about your own boyfriends," Hotaru noted.

"Or girlfriends," Maria added. The others looked at her, and she shrugged.

"Wait, what?" Usagi almost shouted.

Maria looked at Aki and smiled. "We always get that reaction from people."

Minako shrugged. "Love is blind. I wouldn't date a girl, but I don't mind others doing it."

Hotaru was practicing with a staff, but stopped as she heard that. "If they like each other, then gender shouldn't be an issue at all."

Usagi sighed. "You're right guys, sorry about my reaction. It's just that I never really thought about girls dating girls..."

Terry walked to the arena. "Okay, I built this place for you to get better at fighting, so who wants to get a beating?"

"I'll get him," Ami said.

"No weapons?" Terry asked.

"I can't use any weapon," Ami noted.

"I could teach you."

"I know, but for now, let's see if I can hit you."

As the two started trying to punch each other out, Minako sighed dreamily. "How romantic..."

"What do you mean?" Aki asked.

"Boyfriend and girlfriend trying to beach each other to a pulp. So romantic."

"Eh, if you say so," Aki muttered, then looked at the arena. "That was fast."

Ami was lying on the ground, and Terry stared at her. "Ow..."

"Defense is your strong point, but your offense needs a lot of work."

"I didn't even see how you hit me."

"Should I have held back?"

"No. Let's try this again," Ami said as she stood up.

* * *

"The Omega wasn't good enough yet. I need to gather samples of the few Senshi who have upgraded, and keep an eye on them. The stronger they become, the stronger the Omega will be."

"Go ahead, I can wait. I want the Senshi dead, but rushing into things won't help us. And the Omega's first test was good enough."

* * *

**A/N:** The idea of Moon using 'discs' (chakrams) to fight is not just something that came out of nowhere. One of my favorite characters in the Dynasty Warriors saga uses them.

After this chapter, we return to the usual canon rewriting/breaking.


	29. Card games

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 29: Card games.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: February 27, 2013_

* * *

"A meteor fell close to my house last night. But when I went to take a look, it was gone. All that was left was a huge crater. Nobody knows where it went."

Usagi looked at Umino. "Meteors don't just vanish."

"Yeah, it's strange. Maybe it's related to the Senshi."

"You think the Senshi made that meteor vanish?"

"No, but maybe there's a new enemy in town."

Terry chuckled. "Cool, I wonder where I can sign up to be attacked by one of those new aliens?"

"I hope nobody I know gets attacked."

Terry looked at Usagi. "I thought you knew better than that already."

"I do, but I can still hope, right?"

Right then, a couple new students walked in. They noticed the classroom was quite full, but didn't mind the others as they walked to their seats.

"Natsumi and Seijuro Ginga," Umino said, "they're foreigners, although I don't know which country they're from."

"Don't speak about us like we're not here," Natsumi said. She, like her brother, was tall, and had long, brown hair and brown eyes.

"You'll have to excuse Umino, he's the resident gossip boy."

"That I am."

Usagi looked at Terry. "So..."

"Nag off, Usagi, what me and Ami do is our business alone."

"Come on, don't be like that."

"What about you and-?" Terry realized Karin was there and smiled. "Well, you know."

"I haven't really talked to him a lot lately. Didn't even have a date yet."

"But he likes you."

Usagi turned to look at Karin. "Uh... He does?"

"I don't mind. He's old enough to look after himself," Karin noted. "How did you meet, though?"

"Just by coincidence. We didn't have a good start, he kept on teasing me about my grades and other things..."

"Sounds just like him."

"...But we ended up liking each other."

"Didn't think he would go after someone younger than him," Karin admitted.

Natsumi stared at her brother. _'They're weird.'_

_'I know. Is this really required?'_

_'We may be here for a long time. We need to know how the locals behave.'_

_'And we must find food soon, the Makaijuu won't last much longer.'_

* * *

"A bug and a robot, is that all we'll have to fight?"

"Mako, ever heard the saying 'be careful what you wish for'"

Mako laughed. "Right, but those were still too easy to deal with."

Terry and Ami walked in and looked around. The base was quite crowded, but there were some Senshi missing. Mostly the other guys, and one girl. "Hey, where's Usagi?"

"She went to see Mamoru," Rei explained.

"Oh. Too bad, I wanted to give her something."

"Won't Ami be jealous?" Rei teased.

"I helped him build it," Ami explained.

"... Now I'm curious," Minako admitted.

"Sorry, it's a surprise," Ami said.

"On a completely unrelated note, I suppose everyone noticed my 'new' blue airboard, right?"

The others, except for Ami, looked at each other. "Not really," they all said in unison.

Ami smiled and leapt up, and a blue airboard appeared right under her feet. "What do you guys think?"

"... Isn't that Zero's old board with a new paint job?" Naru asked.

Terry leapt up, and another board appeared under his feet, also blue. "No, it's not. While researching, we discovered that the Zero's color can be changed to any color you want." To demonstrate his point, the board suddenly turned white, then green, then back to blue. "See?"

"With a bit of work, we can make airboards for everyone," Ami noted, "that will make it easier for us to fight evil."

"Wait, wasn't the Zero a rare alloy?" Naru asked. She didn't know the technical stuff, but she knew she had understood that much about Terry's former armor's material.

"It can be replicated," Terry explained, "in fact, I didn't tell you girls this, but I got a piece of that robot we fought. Its armor was made of Zero."

"What? But you said only a few knew about it."

"And I've already checked with them. It wasn't an inside job, but whoever did it left no clues to be found."

"So whoever it was, also used our genetic code. It must be a very smart man. Or woman."

Terry nodded at Rei. "And I know of few who could do it. I can't go asking around without making it clear I know it's them."

"That wouldn't matter," Hotaru said, "the Omega knew who I was."

"Still, it's better to play dumb and see what their next move will be," Terry said.

"Alert. Magical entities detected."

Minako looked around. "Who's that?"

"That's the base's computer. We decided to give it a voice of its own."

"Sounds robotic, just like Hotaru," Mako joked.

"I resent that remark," Hotaru said, in a rather robotic monotone.

"... You're weird," Mako muttered.

"Thank you."

Terry wasn't paying attention to the girls. "Okay, there's something unknown attacking near our school, and there's an unknown entity, relatively weak, close to the base."

"Let's check on that weaker entity," Ami said. "The rest of you, go get whoever's attacking our school."

"Who died and made her leader?" Rei joked.

* * *

"... And he told me you should really drop by someday."

Mamoru smiled at Usagi. Things had changed slowly between them, and he knew she was not just a naive girl who saved the world on a daily basis. There was much more to her than one could see... Although she _did _usually hide it all behind her naive girl facade.

They had been walking with no destination in mind, and he realized he really liked being with her. Maybe she was the one for him, but he couldn't be sure just yet.

"Hey, are you listening?"

"Uh, yeah, sorry. I suppose that guy's right, I should visit that base. I'm one of the team, after all. However..."

"Huh?"

"You spend a lot of time with that Zephyr guy."

"He's my friend," Usagi said.

"Guess I'll have to start spending time with you too, odango."

Usagi shook her head. She didn't hate that nickname anymore, but it was still a bit annoying. "We're close to the base, want to go check it out now?"

"Sure, lead the-"

"Stop it right there!"

"That's my line," Usagi said as she turned to the voice. She saw it was a small, pink-haired girl. "Huh? What do you want, kid?"

The girl looked at her. "Give me the Ginzuishou."

"The what?" Usagi asked, playing dumb. Was this girl an enemy? But she looked so little and harmless. She noticed her hair was tied up in pigtails, much like hers, except the hair buns were different, their shape reminded her of rabbit ears.

"I need the Ginzuishou. Give it to me," the girl said. A gun appeared out of thin air, and she pointed it at Usagi. "Now."

"Hey kid, put that gun away, you could hurt someone with it!"

"Don't call me kid, my name is Usagi Tsukino."

Usagi's eyes widened, and she looked at Mamoru, who seemed as confused as her. "What-"

"Girl, you better stop aiming that thing at my friends, or I may ignore the fact you're just a little girl."

The girl turned to the voice and saw Dragon and Sailor Mercury staring at her from atop their airboards. "Mercury?"

"Who the hell are you?"

The girl gasped and took off running, dropping the gun, which vanished before it hit the ground. Usagi watched her dash away and saw Dragon Mercury was about ready to chase after her. "Let her go."

"But-"

"Please, she didn't hurt anyone, and she didn't look like an evil being to me."

"She's right," Mercury said.

"I think she'll be back," Mamoru noted.

"Next time, I'll ask her what she wants my crystal for. If she needs help, I could help her."

Mercury looked around. "We're going back to the base. What about you?"

"Sure, we were heading that way," Usagi said, then finally noticed something. "... Hey, since when do you have an airboard?"

"Had it for a few days, never had a reason to use it," Mercury noted.

"Some guys give their girlfriends flowers. I gave her an airboard," Dragon Mercury joked.

"But we have something to give you," Mercury added.

"Oh? Something for me?" Usagi's eyes widened. "One of those?"

"No, not yet, still working on them."

"Let's continue this in the base," Mamoru said, "before that girl, or a crowd of fangirls, show up."

"Good thinking, let's go," the Dragon admitted. "You guys go on foot, we'll take a different route."

* * *

Elsewhere in the city, the Senshi had reached their destination, and saw a familiar scene. A strange creature was draining anyone who was too scared or naive to run away from it. The monster looked like a lion, only its skin was red and its mane white. "What is that thing?"

"Zeus' Wrath."

A barrage of lightning bolts hit the monster from all directions, and the Senshi watched in awe as Calisto summoned a large sword of flames and tackled the creature down. It reacted faster than she expected, knocking her away, but Calisto wasn't about to give up. "Pegasi Flight."

"What's up with her?" Venus asked.

"Makai's one of the victims," Saturn said.

"Ares' Pyre!" The monster was swallowed by a column of fire, but it only lasted a few seconds. Calisto sighed and struggled to stay on her feet. "Damn it, I must-"

"Leave that bug to us," Mars said as the Senshi left their hiding spot. "Saturn, check on the victims."

Calisto looked at Mars. "Hmph. Okay, I'll leave this to you. I'm too weak to defend her."

"Don't blame yourself," Saturn said. She was stronger than most of the other Senshi, but she knew she was also the only one who could heal all these innocents. "She'll be okay in a minute."

Calisto was aware the Senshi were not having an easy time beating the creature, but she couldn't help them right now. She focused in what Saturn was doing. A mass healing technique, it only took a few seconds for people to start groaning and sitting up. "Amazing."

"Ugh, what the heck happened?"

Calisto smiled at Aki. "A monster got you, the Senshi are trying to fight it."

Saturn stood up and looked at the victims. "Please leave the area immediately, we will deal with that creature."

"Wow, a Senshi!"

"I thought they were fake."

Saturn realized the victims weren't quite getting the point. "Please, leave the area before-"

"Saturn, watch out!"

The warning was timed right, and Saturn turned to see the creature running straight to her, snarling furiously. "Bad kitty, play dead," she said and tossed her glaive like a spear. It went right through the creature's chest, falling near the other Senshi. "On second thought, I suppose the creature's just been dealt with," she added as she turned to the victims.

Mars walked to where the creature had fallen, and saw a small card was lying on the ground, and there was a picture of the creature in it. A second later, the card blackened and turned into ashes. "Strange."

"Definitely not youma," Jupiter commented.

Saturn noticed the crowd had not left yet. She walked calmly to her glaive and picked it up, not minding the fact it was soaked in green blood. "Definitely not strong, either."

"Let's go back to-" Venus started, then remembered the crowd. "Well, you know."

"Right. I'll take this one to a doctor, she doesn't look too well," Calisto said, and she and Aki vanished.

"What was that about?" Venus asked.

"Guess they'll go play doctor," Jupiter commented. The other Senshi stared at her, then laughed.

"Hey, Senshi!"

Jupiter saw a guy walk to them. "What is it?"

"No autographs," Saturn noted.

"Aww, but-" The guy stopped as he noticed Saturn was staring at him, still holding the bloodied glaive. "Uh, okay, nevermind."

"Let's just go before they start taking pic-" Saturn started, then blinked as a flash blinded her for a split second. "... Too late."

* * *

Usagi looked at the items Terry was holding. "Wow."

"I'm working on guesses here, but tests seemed to work for Ami, so I made these for you."

"Why not make one for her too?" Mamoru asked.

"Because Usagi's the leader," Terry said.

"And because I'm quite useless with any kind of weapon," Ami added.

Usagi took the two discs (or Chakrams as Terry called them, Usagi supposed that was their name,) and then flinched. "Heavy..."

"That's because they're meant to be used with your powers."

"Moon Prism Power!" Moon frowned. "Huh? They're much lighter now."

"You're much stronger physically when transformed, I thought you girls knew that already."

"Uh, yeah, I just forgot about it," Moon said. "So, what's so special about these?"

"They can channel your magic much like your tiara does. You can toss them or use them in close range."

Mamoru rose an eyebrow. "You mean she can use that kind of weapon?"

"The principle is mostly the same as with her tiara, and Luna said her skill using that thing was not something she got from her past life."

"I need a practice target," Moon said.

"I'm not-" Terry started, then smiled. "Here, try this."

Moon saw the airboard appear. "Wait, what if I break it down?"

"It's made of Zero, don't worry."

"Okay." Moon run to the target, sending one of the discs straight at it. It hit the board and bounced backwards, and Moon caught it, slicing sideways with both of them in a cross pattern. The board was cut neatly to pieces and fell to the ground. "Ack! Terry, I'm sorry, I-"

"I told you not to worry," Terry said. The board's pieces floated up and the board reformed itself.

"Wow, didn't know the Zero could do that."

"Me neither," Terry admitted, "until Ami froze my board during one of the tests and it shattered into hundreds of small pieces as it fell to the ground."

"I was just as shocked as you," Ami admitted.

"So, you like those weapons?"

"I do. But still, I have my tiara, I could just use it instead."

"Your tiara uses a fixed quantity of mana to work when you toss it. These Chakrams can use as much, or as little, mana as you want them to, provided you have enough of it."

"Let me show you something else," Ami said and took one of the discs. It turned into a sword, then into a small dagger. She smiled as she saw Usagi's face as the weapon returned to its normal form. "Yeah, it surprised me too. "

"What _is _that thing?"

"Hard to explain, but it can obey the thoughts or voice of its 'owner.'"

"Wait until I show these to the others," Usagi mused.

"I'm already working on weapons for the others," Terry said, then noticed the chakrams were gone. "Wait, where-"

Usagi reached her arm forwards, and everyone could see a pink bracelet. "I learn fast."

"I can see that," Terry mused. "And I just realized how to decide what weapon to make for each of the Senshi."

Ami nodded. "We'll let them decide."

* * *

Usagi walked into her house, still thinking back to all that had happened. She couldn't wait until an evil creature appeared, it was quite a surprise to her to know she was not horrible with _all _weapons. "Mom, I'm home!"

"Hi there, Usagi. I've been waiting for you."

Usagi noticed the young girl sitting on the couch and paled. "You?"

* * *

**A/N:** Kids these days, even before they learn advanced geometry, they're already pointing at you with a gun and breaking into your home. What a world!

The Senshi get polymorphing weaponry. The base idea of this was in the first version of Cyber Moon, but I discarded it back then. I think I can make it work this time around.

Also, Saturn should call her new technique "Saturn Glaive Action" or something like that.


	30. Pink-haired trouble

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 30: Pink-haired trouble.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: March 6, 2013_

* * *

The leader looked at his four soldiers. The best his army had to offer. They already knew their mission, and he knew they were eager to begin. "Cooan, you will go first. Find and kill the Rabbit."

"I will not fail," Cooan said. "The Dark Moon will be victorious."

"Go, and do not fail. The Senshi should be weak enough for you to deal with."

* * *

Usagi stared at the girl for a few seconds. "What the heck are you doing here?"

"Usagi, don't you remember her," Ikuko Tsukino said from the kitchen. "That's your cousin, ChibiUsa."

Usagi looked at the girl again, knowing it was impossible for her to be her cousin, as her parents didn't have any siblings. The girl was holding a strange spherical artifact which looked like a large cat head. The artifact's eyes shone for a few seconds, but Usagi still glared at her. "What did you do to her?"

The girl frowned. "Oh, I forgot that doesn't work with Senshi."

Usagi shook her head. "What exactly are you?"

"I'm just a normal human girl," the girl said, "and I need the Ginzuishou."

It was clear the girl knew who Usagi was. "Let's go to the park, ChibiUsa."

The girl seemed about to protest, but then understood what Usagi meant. "Okay!"

Ikuko walked out of the kitchen and smiled. "Have fun, girls."

"We'll be back soon," ChibiUsa said with a smile.

After they had walked for a few minutes, Usagi looked down at the girl. "Listen, I can't give you the Ginzuishou. If you tell me what you need it for, I could help you."

"I can't tell you..."

"Then I can't help you." Usagi stared at the girl, and noticed her eyes were watering. She was just a small girl, and Usagi couldn't bring herself to hate her. "At least tell me what you did to mom."

"I put memories of me in her mind, I also did the same with your father and brother. Don't worry, it won't harm them, and they'll forget about me as soon as I leave. Please, I need your crystal."

"I may be naive at times, but I'm not just giving you my crystal. Either tell me what you need it for, or leave."

"But-" ChibiUsa sighed. She couldn't tell her the whole truth, but she could at least tell her a part of it. "I need it to save my mother."

"Then I'll help you save her."

"Oh, here you are. I've been looking for you."

Usagi saw a woman walking to them. She was wearing a pink suit, and had buns in her head shaped like cat ears. "Who are you?"

"My name's Cooan, and I've been looking for her."

Usagi noticed ChibiUsa was trying to hide behind her, and looked quite frightened. "I don't think she wants to go with you."

"I don't care. Move out of the way, or I'll kill you both."

Usagi gasped at that. She couldn't just run and let this woman kill the girl, but she couldn't transform in front of an enemy, either. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Brave last words. Dark Fire!"

"Fire Soul!"

Usagi sighed in relief as Mars' attack blocked the enemy's fire blast. "Thanks, Mars."

"Guess Mercury was right," Mars said, then looked at the woman. "Leave before I hurt you."

"Likewise, Sailor Mars. Dark Fire!"

"Fire Soul!"

"Dark Fire! Dark Fire! Dark Fire!"

Usagi took a step back as Mars was hit by the barrage of attacks. This woman was too strong, Mars was going to..."

Mars stood up and coughed. "Damn it, you're stronger than you look."

"And you're pathetic, even for a Senshi. Now kindly move out of the way so I can kill that kid."

Mars looked at Usagi. "Don't worry, I won't let her harm anyone else." She turned to the woman, who was smiling mockingly, and glared at her. "Should have left while you had the chance. Mars Twilight Power!"

Cooan gasped. "Hmph. I'll just kill my target while-"

"Supreme Thunder!"

"Dark Core!"

"Grim Edge."

The three blasts hit Cooan and knocked her to the ground. She stood up and glared at the three Senshi who had just arrived. "Damn it, I'll take on all of you if I have to!"

"We won't fight you," Saturn said in her usual monotone, "because we don't need to."

Cooan realized Mars' transformation was done, but it was too late to do something about it.

"Mars... Burning..." Mars reached her hands out, a melon-sized ball of flames forming between her open palms. "Soul!" A stream of fire shot from the ball, washing over Cooan and knocking her back down to the ground. "Still alive? Too bad."

Cooan knew she was on the losing side now. Her suit had several burnt marks all around, and she had used most of her energy just to minimize the damage. "Screw this, I'll kill her next time," she said before vanishing.

Usagi smiled. "Thanks, guys."

"Who's the dwarf?" Jupiter asked.

"I'm no dwarf, my name is Usagi Tsukino."

"Another Usagi? What is she doing here, anyhow?"

Usagi looked at Mars, who was leaning on a wall. "She says she needs my crystal to save her mother, but won't tell me anything else. That woman wanted to kill her."

"Trying to kill a little girl?" Saturn was, for once, letting her anger show. "What a monster."

"I agree," Usagi said. "Don't worry, ChibiUsa, I won't let that woman hurt you."

"Why don't we bring her to the base? She'll be safe there."

Usagi nodded. "Good idea."

* * *

Terry saw Usagi walk in, followed by the others, and one girl he didn't expect to see there. "Hey, what's that kid doing here?"

"She was attacked by an evil woman," Rei explained. "I had to power up to defeat her."

"Are we forgetting that kid aimed a gun at Usagi's head?"

ChibiUsa sighed. "Sorry about that, I just didn't know what to do to get that crystal."

"I already forgave her for that," Usagi said, "so don't treat her like she's an evil being."

"... Okay," Terry said.

"So, she knows who we all are?" Ami asked.

"I do. I can't tell you how, though."

"There's a lot you can't tell us," Usagi noted.

"Sorry..." ChibiUsa said, her eyes watering.

"Hey now, don't cry," Terry said with a smile. "Crying won't solve anything."

"She said she needed the Ginzuishou to help her mother. Maybe her mother's hurt, or..."

Terry nodded. "We can't go wild guessing, though."

"If that woman shows up again, maybe I'll beat her around until she gives me some answers," Usagi said.

"Where's the peace-loving, kind Usagi we all know and like?" Terry mused.

"Still here, but someone who would try to kill a small girl deserves no kindness."

"Can't say I don't agree with that," Ami admitted.

* * *

Next morning, Usagi walked into her classroom to find only two people inside. "Where's everyone?"

"Guess since you're getting here on time most of the time, the universe has to balance things out," Terry joked.

"Hey, where's your 'cousin'?" Mako asked.

"Luna's keeping an eye on her."

"... But it's not like we can just run off to help her if that woman shows up again, right?"

"It's not 'can't' but 'shouldn't,'" Terry said. "We still don't know what we're facing, or who that girl really is, but she's just a kid."

"Think the card monster and that woman were related?"

Terry shrugged. "Not sure. It may have been the same force. Worst case scenario would be that we end up facing two evil forces at the same time."

"Sounds fun."

* * *

Hotaru walked in, and saw Kino was waiting for her. "I suppose this means you'll stop pretending you don't know who I am."

"Of course," Kino said, "but that's not why I wanted you to come here. See, we became aware of a construction company working underground, in an area close to Juuban. Whoever hired them was skilled, for there's no record in said company of that building, or whoever ordered it, and we can't trace it back to its origin."

Hotaru was silent for a few seconds, then nodded. "We needed a base, a place to gather and train."

"Oh, that was its purpose."

"You won't ask me who had that base built?"

"No, I was curious as to why anyone would spend so much money just building an underground base. Besides, I have my guesses on who the Senshi are."

"Information is a good tool to have," Hotaru admitted, "but sometimes it can be dangerous for its holder."

Kino was surprised by her words. "Is that a threat?"

"No. But there may be evil forces out there, and if they figure out you know who we are, they may go through you to get to us."

"Understood. I'll take the risk."

"I won't stop you, it's not my job."

Kino nodded. "If we weren't meant to know, a certain lady in green would take care of us."

Hotaru shook her head. "I wouldn't like her to brainwash dad."

"Don't worry, that won't happen."

Hotaru saw Kino's face and stopped herself short of smiling. "Hello, Pluto," she said without turning to her.

"Hi, Hotaru."

"You are..."

"Sailor Pluto, guardian of time. I don't want you to get the wrong idea, General. You can investigate the Senshi, and you will eventually find out who they are. I will not stop you from doing either, as long as you don't consider us your enemies."

"I'm quite aware of what your roles are," Kino noted, "and I just wish I could help them more. But you could tell me who they are, right here, right now."

"If I told you, I would have to kill you."

Kino stared at Hotaru as Pluto left, and noticed the girl was smiling. "Does she joke like that often?"

"She wasn't joking," Hotaru said, her smile fading, "but it's amusing to see the target's reaction whenever she does that."

* * *

She wouldn't give up, even though she had been quite unlucky when it came to finding them. It wasn't an easy task, and she knew the risks, but she didn't mind. Once again she was walking around, trying to find clues on where they hid, or who they were.

"Run!"

Yukiko saw many people running past her. That most likely meant there was a monster attacking. And monster attacks meant the Senshi would be there. She would have to find a safe spot from which to observe the battle, and then afterwards she could-

A metallic noise interrupted her train of thoughts, and she looked to the side just in time to see a humanoid crab rushing at her. She screeched and leapt back, but then saw something she wasn't quite ready to see. A ball of fire had shot from her hands, and hit the creature dead on, sending it flying back for half a block. "What the-" The creature was as surprised as she was, so she took her chance to dash away.

The crab let out a frustrated growl, and was about to chase after its prey, when it saw three figures appearing in front of it. "I've heard crab stew is quite tasty," one of them commented.

"Flametongue," Another figure noted, and the crab was wrapped in flames.

Mira stared at the spot where the crab had been seconds earlier and smiled. "They don't make youma like they used to."

"Let's go before the Senshi show up and shout at us for stealing their kill," Circe said.

"Actually, we should go ask them about those creatures."

Yukiko watched them vanish, but she was much more worried about what she had done. It wasn't her mind playing tricks on her, because her imagination wouldn't send the crab creature flying away. What did this mean? She didn't know, but she would have to find out.

* * *

"There we go."

Usagi looked at the chakrams. They didn't look any different to her. "So, what did you want them for?"

Terry tossed one of the weapons, and smiled as it landed quite far from where they were standing. "Call it back."

"Huh?"

Ami shook her head. "Terry, you had to explain _me _how to do it, remember?"

"Oh, right. Focus in your weapon, and think about it coming back to your hands."

Usagi stared at the disc and her eyes widened. "You mean I can..." she fell silent for a few seconds, then the disc flew to her outstretched hand. "Wow!"

"Great, you're adding to her laziness," Rei joked.

"You're just jealous because I have these and you don't, so..." Usagi stuck her tongue out at her friend.

Terry smiled. He would let her figure out how else to use that modification.

Ami suddenly looked at the monitor. "There's a monster attacking- No, wait, it's gone."

"Guess it's good to have sidekicks," Terry mused.

"Floater."

Terry found himself floating up. "Oh, hello there, Circe."

"I told you not to call us sidekicks."

"Oops," Terry said, noticing the three Huntresses were there. "You're right, I shouldn't make such pretty girls mad at me."

Circe blushed slightly, then stopped her spell, and Terry fell a good two meters down. "Don't you have a girlfriend already?"

Ami sighed. "As long as he just looks and doesn't touch..."

"Lucky, am I not?"

Ami stared at him, her face unreadable. "Yes, you are."

"What did you see in this guy?"

"He has his moments."

Terry stood up and noticed Usagi had been testing her weapons... And that she had already figured something out. "I didn't think you would know how to do that, _Rabbit _."

Usagi looked at him as her chakrams kept spinning around her. "I saw you use your airboard to knock youma down plenty of times. I wondered if these things could do that too, and... Well, I guess they can."

Calisto blinked at that. "Chakrams? Where did she get those?"

"That would be my fault," Terry admitted. "But why are you three here, anyhow? Want me to teach you how to fight?"

"We fought a crab-like creature minutes ago, and we were wondering if you knew about them."

"They're not youma, but we don't know what they are yet. There's an evil woman who may be leading those attacks, and she's looking for someone we're protecting."

"Still, they're draining humans, just like the youma did," Ami said.

"I don't care if it's one army or twenty, they're hurting innocents, so I will fight them."

Terry looked at Usagi. "You know, when I first met you I didn't think I would ever hear you say something like that."

"When I first met you, I didn't think I would ever see you smiling."

"Good point."

* * *

Yukiko stared at the ball of ice floating milimeters above her hand. She didn't know where this newfound power came from, but she had already tested enough to know she could control several elements. So she wasn't a Senshi, they seemed to only be able to control one element. Maybe she was like those other women? Some called them Demon Hunters, but Yukiko had not found any info on them whatsoever.

Still, she was aware of something else. Even though she didn't know where it had come from, she now had magic similar to that of the Senshi. She was not an innocent bystander anymore, whether she liked it or not, and she had to be honest with herself, she did like it.

But just like the Senshi, she had to protect her identity. She couldn't risk enemies knowing who she was, and hurting her family. So she would have to get a few things before she could start fighting evil. A superhero name, for instance. Sailor Sun? No, there was a Dragon Sun already, so there could be a Sailor. No, the name had to be something else. Something like...

Yes, that name would be perfect. And maybe through her new identity, she would be able to get close to the Senshi and meet them. "But first, I need to get a battlesuit."

* * *

**A/N:** The scariest thing that can ever happen to a group of superheroes: A super fangirl.

If anyone out there's still wondering about Usagi's weapons, search for "Sun Shang Xiang." Xiang even has a pair of chakrams called "Moon Chakrams."


	31. Not another sidekick!

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 31: Not another sidekick!**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: March 11, 2013_

* * *

Usagi was watching in shock as ChibiUsa beat the living stuff out of the Sailor V arcade. "Eh, is everyone in this city better than me at videogames?"

"Everyone's good at something."

The blonde turned to see Hotaru walking to them. "Huh? What are you doing here?"

"I'm with Kage," Hotaru said. "But he's right now busy with something else."

Usagi looked in the direction the pale girl was looking, and noticed Kage was playing a fighting game with someone else. "Oh, that's Chie. Don't worry, she's harmless, she just likes games a bit too much."

"I was informed she once formed a large crowd and chased Terry around the city."

"Well, it wasn't that bad, but she did chase after Terry. She's not a bad girl, though."

Hotaru looked at Usagi, then back at Kage. "... I suppose I know what jealousy feels like now."

Usagi smiled at that. "You're human, after all."

Kage walked to them. "That girl's too good at games." He noticed the way Hotaru was staring at Chie, and sighed. "Oh boy... Hotaru, don't worry, I told her I was dating someone."

"Will that stop her from-"

"Yes, it will."

Hotaru didn't show it, but she was quite surprised Chie could hear them while being so focused in the game. "Good."

"Is she a robot?"

Kage chuckled at that. "She's quite human when she wants to be... Bad thing she seldom wants to."

* * *

"Master Terry, someone's here to see you."

Terry looked up from the small black cube he and Ami were working on, and nodded at Samuel. "Okay, we'll take a rest from our mad science."

"If it's you, boy, it's just insane science."

Terry smiled as he saw the tall man walk in. "Hakko?"

"Know any other master swordsman?" Hakko said.

"None who would come here without me paying them for it."

Hakko stared at Ami. "And this is...?"

"Ami Mizuno, a friend."

Hakko laughed. "Boy, you should know I can get certain things from someone's body language. Yours tells me you're not telling me the whole truth, and hers tells me she's not quite happy when you just say 'friend.'"

Ami stared at the man. "I'm..."

"But it's good to see you could move on, boy."

Terry nodded. "Anyhow, what are you here for, Kyo?"

"My sources tell me you've joined a certain group of so-called heroes, and that you've even built them a base."

"Your sources being one Ryoko Hakko, Demon Huntress Sagitta."

Hakko nodded at that. "I've also been informed you've been trying to train your friends."

"They have lives outside our 'job.'"

"So did you, and you still learnt a lot, boy."

"True. How about you train them, then?"

"I'll be in the city for a few days," Hakko said, "I haven't decided what I'll do next. Tell you what, next time we meet, I'll give you my answer."

"Fair enough," Terry said, and saw Hakko turn to leave. "Wait, what about a mock battle?"

Hakko stopped and nodded. "As long as you don't mind me punching you around in front of your girlfriend."

"I've improved since we last met."

"That's not what I heard. Tell you what, you last five minutes against me, and I'll agree to train your friends."

"Deal."

* * *

"Okay, guess we should go home."

"Aww, but I was having fun!"

Usagi smiled at ChibiUsa. "Don't worry, we can come back one of these days."

"Monster!"

Usagi looked outside and saw a crowd running away. A second later, a large, fish-like humanoid creature run by. "ChibiUsa, stay here."

"But..."

"I'll be back in a minute," Usagi said, noticing Hotaru and Kage had already left the building.

ChibiUsa nodded. "Okay."

By the time Moon got to the battle, she saw Saturn and Dragon Sun were having a hard time fighting the creature. They were both inside bubbles of water, which floated up above the fish. Moon saw Saturn try stabbing through the bubble, but her glaive couldn't cut through. "Damn..."

The creature noticed Moon and shot a bubble at her, but Moon leapt to the side, dodging it. She then summoned her new weapons, tossing one at the fish, but the creature simply leapt to the side. Moon rushed at the fish, who tried to trap her again, but she dodged, sending one of the chakrams flying forth again. It missed the fish's head barely, and the creature made a sound which was close to a chuckle.

"Watch out, behind you!" Moon said.

The fish stared at her, knowing it was surely a trap, and charged up for another bubble, but suddenly it felt a sharp pain in its back, and looked down to see the disc's blade sticking out of its chest.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Moon noted as the fish vanished, leaving behind a card which turned to ashes seconds later. She saw Saturn and Dragon Sun were kneeling on the ground. "Are you okay?"

"Was running out of air," the Dragon said, panting.

"Same here," Saturn said.

"Leave me alone!"

Moon turned to look at Crown, and realized the fight was still not over. ChibiUsa was outside, pointing a rather large missile launcher at Cooan, and Moon could see everyone else inside the building was out cold. "Damn, not her again."

"Supreme Thunder!"

The blast zapped Cooan back, and ChibiUsa shot her missile at her... Which covered Cooan in nasty-looking purple goo. "Ack! You brat, now I'm going to kill you!"

"You already were going to," ChibiUsa noted.

Cooan glared at her. "Dark Fire!"

Moon tossed one chakram, and it blocked the attack. "I won't let you hurt her."

"Hmph, so brave. Four against one."

"You can talk," Saturn snapped, "attacking a little girl? You're pathetic."

Moon wasn't in the mood for talking, so she simply tossed her other chakram as she run, but Cooan dodged it. Moon smiled and kept running, but Cooan saw through her ruse and turned around.

"Dark Fire! Dark Fire!" The two discs were sent reeling back, and Cooan smiled as she knew Moon was about to reach her. "Go to sleep, moongirl!"

Jupiter flinched. cooan had delivered a rather strong elbow to Moon's chest, knocking her to the ground. "Don't forget about me. Supreme Thunder!"

Cooan dodged the attack. "Dumb girl, you can't beat me."

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

"Dark Fire! Dark Fire! Dark Fire!"

"Oh shit..." Jupiter knew things were not going well. Saturn and her guy were still kneeling on the ground, Moon was out cold, and she didn't know if any of her friends would be around soon. Her attacks were obviously not effective against this woman, so- She looked at Saturn again, and suddenly knew what to do. "You know, Cooan, I hate bullies, and someone who bullies little kids is asking for a beating."

"Hah, and what will you do about it?"

"Jupiter Twilight Power!"

"... Damn it, not again."

Moon woke up and saw Jupiter transforming. She recalled her chakrams and waited, if Jupiter's attack wasn't enough, she would take care of Cooan.

Jupiter didn't waste a second, she was running at Cooan as soon as her transformation finished, her body charging up with electricity "Jupiter... Electric..." Cooan leapt back to dodge the charge, but Jupiter jumped against a wall, completing her new technique as she bounced back. "...Tackle!"

Cooan was sent flying away a good block, and was barely able to stand as she tried. That damn kid... It had been quite impressive, a large wave of electricity shot out of Jupiter's body as she hit Cooan, and the damage had been rather massive. "Screw this."

Jupiter fell to one knee. "Damn, she escaped."

Moon walked to her. "We'll get her, eventually."

Suddenly, they heard an explosion, and turned back to see Saturn and Dragon Sun out cold, and two new figures floating above the ground, glaring at them. "What is this, a villain holiday or something?" Jupiter muttered.

The new enemies were rather strange. They would have looked human, if not for their light green skin and pointy ears. "Who are you?"

The male alien looked at Moon. "Your interference will not be tolerated, humans."

Moon made the connection and glared at them. "You're the ones sending those monsters!"

"I must admit I didn't think our cardians would be killed so easily," the female alien said, "but that means we'll have to deal with you ourselves."

Moon tossed her chakrams up, but the two aliens shot blasts to knock them back. She made her weapons turn and tried again and again, but it was useless. "I won't lose. Moon Tiara Flight!"

The two aliens tried to blast the tiara away, but it punched through their attacks, and knocked them both down to the ground. "Damn it, she's strong, Ail," the female said.

"But we're stronger, Ann," the male alien noted.

Moon grimaced. They were still up, but she was running out of power. She could only charge up her weapons for one more shot, but if that didn't work...

"Fire Flash."

Moon smiled as the two aliens were hit by a blast of flames. The Huntresses were there, so maybe... As she looked at the newcomer, she saw her suit didn't look like a Demon Hunter's one. Standing on top of a parked truck was a girl with violet hair, a mask covered her face down to her nose, and her suit was quite close to a Senshi's outfit. But everything about her was violet, something Moon for some reason found strange. A long staff with a star-shaped tip completed the disguise. "Who are you?"

"Warwitch," the girl said, and noticed the two aliens were staggering up. "Guess I should use something stronger. Fire Wall."

This time, the two aliens were wrapped in flames for several seconds, and fell down to the ground. The female one glared at Warwitch for a few seconds before they both teleported away.

"You're not a Demon Hunter," Jupiter noted looking up at the girl.

"That's true. I'm just someone who can use magic and uses it to protect those who can't."

"Who are you behind that mask?" Saturn asked.

"Can you tell me who you are?" Warwitch asked back. After a few seconds of silence, she smiled. "Maybe someday I will tell you, Senshi. Phase."

Moon sighed as Warwitch vanished. "I don't know who she is, but she gave those two a beating, so she can keep her secret."

Jupiter noticed Moon's mood wasn't quite good. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Everyone's upgrading but me."

"And yet you fried a fish, fought Cooan and had enough energy to knock those two aliens around," Dragon Sun noted. "I think you'll upgrade when you need it."

"Wonder where everyone else was," Jupiter said.

"Maybe they're using the base's monitor to play Tetris," Dragon Sun joked.

"Let me pick up Chibi and we'll go ask them," Moon said. She then blinked in surprise and picked her comm. "Hey, guys, we had a fight out here."

"We know, sorry. Can you all come to the base?"

Moon noticed Terry looked a bit bruised. "Uh, sure, we'll be there in a few minutes."

* * *

Several minutes earlier, a few of the Senshi were at the base, doing what they did best. In short, they were slacking around as usual.

"Wonder if this thing plays Tetris?" Minako pondered out loud as she stood in front of the base's computer.

"Mina, don't touch that. Don't stare at it, even."

"Oh come on, I'm not that bad with computers."

"She is," Brad said looking at the other girls in the base. "Anyhow, we should be training in here."

The elevator's doors opened, and Terry, Ami and Hakko walked in. Naru noticed Terry had a few bruises in his face. "Hey, what happened to you?"

"I happened," Hakko said with a straight face.

"This is Kyo Hakko," Terry said, "the one who taught me most things I know about fighting."

"He doesn't look that good," Minako noted. She then gasped as Hakko had, somehow, covered the distance between them in a split second, and his fist was milimeters away from her nose. "Uhh..."

"Looks can deceive, and your group should know it," Hakko said, "after all, if I hadn't heard it from a very good source, I would not believe a bunch of teenage cheerleaders saved the world."

Rei, or rather Mars, had been silently listening to the others, but she frowned as she heard that last bit. "Cheerleaders, huh? Fire Soul!"

Hakkko looked at the fire beam dismissively, and then reached his arm forwards. The fire wrapped around his arm, and he swiftly swung said arm to the side, the fire shooting forth and hitting a wall quite close to Mars. "I suppose I deserved that attack," he said with a shrug.

"What the heck?" Minako shouted, noticing the fire hadn't even burnt his clothing. "How did you do that?"

"I can't tell you, but I could teach you a part of what I know."

Mars walked to him. "So that's why you're here."

"Yes, I told this guy I would train you if he lasted for five minutes against me, going all out."

"And he lasted five minutes and eight seconds," Ami said with a small smile.

"Oh, so that's why you look like a dozen youma beat you up," Brad joked.

"I feel like that, too," Terry muttered.

"Alert. Threat detected."

Terry looked at the monitor. "Ami, your upgrades work."

Mars saw the monitor showed the usual red dot, but the words "Moon" "Saturn" and "Sun" were around it. "That's a new one."

"Should we go help them?" Minako asked.

Terry saw the word "Jupiter" appear in the screen and smiled. "I don't think they need help."

Hakko looked at Mars. "You're Hino's granddaughter, right?"

"... Yes."

"There's something I heard, but I want to test it myself. Hit me."

Mars looked at Terry. "Is that safe?"

"If it's not, it's his own fault."

Mars shook her head, then kicked Hakko in the chest. The man staggered back, but didn't seem to be too affected. "So, what is it you wanted to test?"

Hakko smiled, then fell to one knee. "That your physical strength is much higher than that of a normal human. Good thing I'm not quite a normal human. Not a magician, but not normal, either." He saw Terry talking through a small artifact and rose an eyebrow. "So, who's the leader?"

"Sailor Moon," Mars said. "A word of warning, however, you said looks deceive, so don't be surprised when you see her."

"Terry told me that, too," Hakkko admitted. "But hey, he doesn't look like a warrior, either, so I know what you mean."

Terry was done talking to Moon, and gave Hakko a short glare as he heard that last part. He then noticed Hakko was giving him his back, so he summoned his sword and tried to slash down at him.

Everyone in the base gasped as Hakko stopped the blade with two fingers. The man smiled. "I told you that won't work, no matter how many times you try it."

"I know," Terry said. "Say cough."

Hakko looked down in time to see a small metal ball between his feet. He leapt aside, barely escaping the gas cloud, and then looked at Terry. "You make up for your lack of skills with gadgets. I may not agree with that path, but I can at least admit you've improved, boy."

"So, when do we start our training?"

"Right now," Hakko said. "I heard you're better as a team, and I want to know what you're able to do, so how about you all attack me at the same time?"

"He's insane," Naru commented.

"But this is better than school," Minako said, "we get to beat down our teacher from the very first day!"

Terry shook his head. "Oh well, time to get a few more bruises." He looked at Ami. "Are you sure you want to-"

"I'm a Senshi too," Ami said, "I can't improve if I don't take risks."

"Can't make a salad without breaking some tomatos," Minako said. The others stared at her. "What? I'm pretty sure that's how it goes."

Hakko saw the Senshi stand around him, and smiled. "I'm waiting."

* * *

**A/N:** Hey, maybe Hakko can get a spandex suit and a mask, and go fight evil aliens too! I think I'll call him Tuxedo Hakko.

... Yes, that was a joke. Not going to happen. Which doesn't mean he won't have a chance or five to beat up some aliens.


	32. Training day

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 32: Training Day.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: March 20, 2013_

* * *

First thing Usagi and the others saw when they walked in, was their friends all lying around the base, and they all looked quite bruised. Usagi saw an older man standing in the center of the 'arena,' staring at her, and frowned. "Who are you?"

"Kyo Hakko, I'm sure Terry told you about me. In my defense, they attacked me all at once."

"He told us to. And we couldn't hit him once," Minako said, trying to sit up and failing miserably.

"Okay, I'll fix them," Hotaru said and started concentrating.

"Hmph, he can't be that good," Mako said.

"You can try hitting me if you want. I like knowing what my students can and can't do before I start teaching them."

Mako smiled, and charged at him. Hakko blocked her jab, and tried to punch her in the ribs, but Mako skipped back, barely dodging the blow. She went for a kick to his chest, and Hakko took the hit, but then caught her leg using his arm, causing her to lose balance. Mako tried to kick with her other leg as she fell, but that only let Hakko hold both her legs. He swung around, releasing his hold as he did, and sending Mako flying back a good dozen meters.

But Mako didn't give up. She jumped back up and charged again, this time going for a flurry of punches. Hakko blocked them all, and then hit her chest with his open palm as she slowed down, sending her down to the ground.

"Okay, I guess he _can _be that good."

Hakko looked at Mako as she staggered up, and smiled. "You're not bad, girl, but you don't seem to plan ahead."

"I've been told that," Mako said, glancing at Terry, who shrugged.

Hakko looked at Usagi. "You must be Tsukino. I was told you were the leader of this group."

"Everyone keeps telling me that," Usagi said.

"She looks harmless," Terry said, "until she's shooting at you with a man-sized energy beam."

"In case you were planning to, I'll say I don't want to fight you right now."

"Are you afraid of being hurt?"

Usagi walked past Hakko. "No, but I've fought four evil creatures in a span of a few minutes, I'm really not in the mood for another fight."

Hakko smiled. "Enemies won't ask you if you want to fight, so why should I?"

It happened too fast for most to follow, but Hakko had once again covered several meters in a split second. Just like with Minako, he had stopped his punch milimeters away from Usagi's face. But Usagi had managed to move her head to the side, so his fist would not have connected even if he had kept going.

Terry stared at Usagi in awe. "Damn it, how did she-"

Hakko was looking at the blonde girl, and smiling. "Terry told me you were good at dodging, but that was beyond 'good.'"

Usagi blinked a few times. "Uh, I don't even know how I did it."

"I've seen enough," Hakko said and walked to the elevator. "You can rest for the day, but tomorrow I'll start training you all for real."

Mako stared at him. "You mean you were holding back?"

"Mako, if he fought you all out, you would have been knocked out in half the time," Terry said. He turned to Hakko. "Just try not to beat them up too much, at least the girls."

"I've told you before, gender is but a footnote," Hakko noted, "and you have a healer, don't you?"

"I suppose you could call me that," Hotaru admitted.

Hakko looked at Hotaru. "I know who trained you, so I'm quite sure you're better than most of them."

"I also tire much faster," Hotaru explained.

"That's a bad flaw to have in battle. I can help you correct it, or at least minimize it."

"That would be good."

Terry saw Hakko walk into the elevator, and noticed Ami was rubbing her arm. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ami said, then saw ChibiUsa was looking at the base's computer console. "Uhm, please don't touch that."

"I won't." ChibiUsa smiled and walked to where Usagi was. "Thaks for your help."

"You're welcome," Usagi said. "But I'm curious, where did you get that missile launcher from?"

"Missile launcher?" most of the others asked in unison.

"She used it against Cooan."

ChibiUsa smiled and the cat-like sphere appeared near her. "That was my Luna-P."

"Luna-P," Terry repeated. "And it looks like Luna. Strange coincidence." Was it a coincidence, even?

ChibiUsa looked at the sphere, and it turned into a sword, a gun, and a motorcycle before returning to its normal form. "It's my favorite toy."

"Toy?" Terry muttered. "Who built that thing?" And who would give such an advanced artifact to a small girl?

"I don't know," ChibiUsa said.

Usagi sighed. "Let's go home, I don't feel like training after all those fights."

* * *

Yukiko was leaning on a wall, watching the sunset. It had been pretty good for a first battle, even if Sailor Moon had done most of the damage. Her disguise was almost perfect, specially her idea of turning her black hair purple with a simple spell. And she had seen her spells did work even against 'bosses' so she wouldn't be a hindrance for the Senshi. She had no skill when it came to melee combat, but as long as she kept her distance, that wouldn't be a problem.

She saw Tsukino walk by and sighed. Unlike her, Tsukino had a lot of friends. Yukiko didn't like being a loner, but making friends was not something she was good at. On the other hand, and from what she had gathered while trying to figure out the Senshi's identities, Usagi's skill at making friends was, some said, her only skill.

"You look worried about something."

Yukiko looked at Usagi. She had heard rumors about her being able to read people's mood. Perhaps they weren't just rumors after all. "It's nothing," she said, then frowned. "No, actually... Do you know who the Senshi are?"

"I'm sorry, but they don't reveal themselves easily."

"Well, I had to try."

Usagi was about to walk away, but instead looked at Yukiko. "You know, the Senshi aren't the only ones you could have as friends."

Yukiko gave her a half-smile. "Are you saying you could be my friend? Don't you have enough-" she stopped and looked at Usagi. "Sorry."

"I've observed you at school. I don't think you're a loner, you just don't know how to befriend others."

"I see the rumors about you were right, Tsukino."

"Call me Usagi, all my friends do."

"Call me Yuki, then... It's what I would want my friends to call me."

Usagi smiled. Sure, Yukiko was a bit too enthusiastic when it came to the Senshi, but she didn't seem like a bad person. "Well, I'll see you at school."

Yukiko watched Usagi walk away. Perhaps coming to Juuban was a much better idea than she had thought.

* * *

As Usagi reached the base, she saw her friends were all training, fighting against each other as Hakko watched. The man turned to her and frowned. "You're late."

"Sorry."

"A leader should not give such a bad example to its troops."

"So what are you going to do, make me stand in the hallway?"

Hakko's stare made it clear he was not joking. "I'm here to help you improve, but if you don't want to, then it will be pointless to even try."

"I didn't choose to be a Senshi, but since I'll have to fight time and again, I have to get better at it. I want to be a better fighter, so I can help and protect my friends."

"Your actions thus far tell me otherwise."

Usagi summoned two wooden chakram out of thin air. "I guess just saying sorry won't be enough."

Hakko smiled as Usagi stood there, holding the discs. "You can get a hint, after all." He noticed the others had all stopped fighting and sighed. "I didn't tell you to stop, now did I?"

"Nag off, Kyo, we want to watch this."

Hakko shook his head at Terry. "Fine. Maybe you'll learn something from this."

Usagi rushed forwards without any warning, tossing one of the discs at Hakko. The man was not as distracted as he seemed, however, as he caught the disc, using it to parry Usagi's following swipe, and then hit her square in the stomach, sending her reeling back.

Usagi fell to one knee and panted. "Too strong..."

The man's face was unreadable as he tossed the disc back at Usagi, who caught it as she staggered up. "You didn't wait for me to be ready."

"Our enemies won't wait for us to be ready, either."

Hakko nodded. "Some would call it playing dirty. I call it being wise."

Usagi rushed him again, this time throwing both discs. Hakko caught them both, and Usagi realized her mistake as he punched her with one of them, using it to lift her over his head and send her crashing to the ground. "That plan looked better in my head."

"This kind of weapons should not be thrown unless you're quite sure your foe won't catch them. And throwing both at the same time leaves you without a weapon."

"So she should learn how to fight with no weapons as well," Mamoru guessed.

"That's right. You all should."

"Alert. Enemy attack in progress."

Hakko looked at the far wall of the room. "I suppose that means training is over."

Usagi shrugged. "We'll keep training when we get back."

"After a battle, a warrior must rest. It's pointless to train while exhausted or injured."

* * *

Things were relatively under control by the time the Senshi got there. Circe and Calisto were facing the two aliens, while Mira fought what looked like a humanoid scorpion. "Well, now I know the pattern," Mercury noted.

"Pattern?" Most of the others asked.

"First was the lion, Leo. Then the crab, Cancer. Then the fish, Pisces. And now, there's Scorpio."

"The zodiac," Saturn noted. "Interesting coincidence."

Mira leapt aside as the scorpion tried to stab her stomach with its tail stinger, then looked back at the Senshi. "I can take care of this one, help the others." Moon was about to protest, so Mira decided to demonstrate her point. "Selene's Light!" A beam of light shot out of Mira's palm, and it hit the creature square in the chest, sending it flying back for nearly one block.

"Okay, I'll risk saying she's got this bug controlled," Dragon Sun commented.

Ail and Ann were just done dodging a barrage of fire blasts when they noticed there were one too many Senshi for them to handle. "Damn it, not again!"

"Ann, we can't risk ourselves. We'll try again later."

Moon saw the two aliens vanish and then noticed Mira had just turned the scorpion into a smoking pile of ashes. "Aww, we didn't get to fight anyone."

"Thought you didn't like fighting," Mars mused.

"I don't, but I also hate running through half the city for nothing."

Mercury suddenly looked to the side. "Unfortunately, we'll have to run again. Cooan's back, and there's another unknown entity there."

Moon's eyes widened. "We won't make it there in time."

Mira noticed Moon's look. "They're after your 'cousin' right? Sun told me about that."

Moon looked at two of the Dragons. "Right, I forgot you were Hunters too."

Dragon Sun smiled at that. "I'll see you at home, Mira. Mass Teleport!"

Calisto walked to Mira. "We should tell them what we sensed about these aliens."

"Not until we're sure of it. Did you get them?"

Circe smiled as she also walked ot them. "I could see the target of their teleport."

"Good. We'll go there later."

"Huh? Why not now?"

"We need to thread carefully, we don't know if we'll find someone else in there, maybe stronger than those two."

"Good point. And I'm exhausted," Calisto said, "we should go after we rest for a while."

* * *

Cooan stared at the two cats dismissively. "Really, they left some stray cats to watch over the Rabbit?"

Artemis shrugged. "The Senshi are bored of kicking your ass whenever you show up."

The woman tried to kick Artemis away, but he gave a small leap backwards and slashed her legs with one paw. "Argh! You damn fleabags!"

"Hey!"

She turned to see her target holding a missile launcher. "Kid, again with that thing?"

ChibiUsa smiled at her. "Yep."

Artemis laughed as Cooan was knocked back by a large ball of purple goo. "I have to get one of those."

"We could use _that_ too."

He looked at Luna. "No, we would have a lot of explaining to do if they saw us. Besides, Cooan is far too weak to be worth our trouble. Besides, someone's going to take care of Cooan for us."

"What-"

"Lightning!"

Cooan was too busy trying to get the purple stuff off her hair to notice the attacker, but she did feel the attack's effect. "Ow. Who the hell..."

"Name's Warwitch, and I'm not going to let you harm that girl."

"Hmph. Stray cats and a Senshi reject. Forgive me if I'm not impressed."

Warwitch smiled. "You should be. Wave!"

"Dark Fire!" Cooan's fire attack cancelled Warwitch's watery one, but she didn't let her foe think of anything else. "Dark Fire! Dark Fire! Dark Fire!"

Warwitch was hit by two of the blasts, but managed to put up a shield to stop the third. Still, she knelt on the ground, panting. "Damn it, she's too strong."

"Give up, you can't defeat me."

Warwitch stared at Cooan for a few seconds, then smiled. "Good thing I don't need to."

"Wha-"

"Moon Tiara Flight!"

Cooan was sent flying forwards as the tiara hit her back. As she stood up, she saw all the Senshi were there. "Oh screw this, I'll kill her later."

Moon sighed. "She escaped again." She looked at Warwitch and smiled. "Thanks for keeping her busy."

"It's no-" Warwitch started, then she coughed up some blood. "Ugh."

Saturn walked to her. "Here's a basic combat tip: The trick is to shoot at your foes while at the same time avoiding their attacks."

"Good one," Warwitch said weakly. "Heal."

"You could stop playing the mystery sidekick and tell us who you are," Dragon Mercury said.

"Yeah, I could," Warwitch agreed with a sly smile, her bruises mostly gone. "Teleport."

The Dragon stared at thin air for a few seconds before shaking his head. "Should have seen that coming."

"Moon, I think you should keep an eye on ChibiUsa," Luna said.

"I can take care of myself."

Artemis looked at ChibiUsa. "With what, that goo launcher?"

"Next time I'll use real missiles."

* * *

Yukiko groaned as she sat on her bed. Her mood wasn't good, and for a good reason. That stupid fire witch, she would show her what fire magic was next time! But still, it was good to be helping the Senshi. Maybe they would tell her who they were, eventually.

But for the time being, she had to keep her own identity a secret. She still wasn't ready to tell them, and she feared they would tell her to stop playing hero if they knew who she was.

She realized something else as she thought about her second battle, something she noticed as she fought, but couldn't ponder about while trading blasts with that woman. Why was the kid holding a missile launcher when she got there?

There were other questions in her mind, but she guessed they would be answered at the right time. She just had to keep on helping the Senshi, and they would eventually trust her enough to tell her.

* * *

Ail and Ann stood in front of a large tree. It was strange to see a tree growing inside a windowless room, and it was even more strange to see a tree like this. The few flowers it had were obviously alien, and it was glowing with a faint white light.

But the light grew dim, and finally died out. The tree, which had looked healthy for a minute, was now wilting. "It's no use," Ann said.

"The Makaijuu needs more life energy."

Ann looked at her brother, and an idea formed in her mind. "Those Senshi are powerful, they must have a lot of life energy."

The man nodded. "I know what you mean, but we need to plan carefully. We can't fight more than one of them at a time."

* * *

**A/N:** Hotaru's combat tips are good, indeed.


	33. Fire, ice and magic

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 33: Fire, ice, and magic.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: March 31, 2013_

* * *

"This time, you will not attack alone."

"Rubeus, I can handle those-"

"You can't," the man interrupted Cooan, "you've shown that already. Beruche will help you."

"I understand. What about the other group attacking the city?"

"Let them be. They are a distraction to the Senshi, so as long as they stay out of our way, we will stay out of theirs."

* * *

"Be honest, I suck at fighting, don't I?"

Mamoru looked at Usagi. "You're good at dodging, but everything else needs a lot of work."

Hakko stared at the two in turns. "That's true. By the way, I hope neither of you holds back."

"They will," Terry noted, "but they shouldn't do it conciously."

"Ha!"

Hakko turned to the other mock battle and nodded. "Well done, Aino."

Minako smiled. "Finally!"

Brad stood up and shook his head. "You only won because I'm not allowed to buff myself."

"You need to learn how to hold your ground without your powers."

"We'll be using our powers when we fight our foes," Naru noted.

Hakko nodded at her. "And you'll know how to fight even after you run out of mana, which will make your battles much easier."

"But we could also train with our powers," Terry said, "we may found things about them we don't know."

"You should train, period," Hakko noted. "What are you doing right now?"

"I'm trying to create an AI for the base, one that can keep things running even if none of us is around. One which could tell us when something is attacking even if we're not here." He looked at the console again and smiled. "Though Ami's doing quite a bit of the coding. I didn't know she was that good with computers."

"Right. I suppose if it's something like that, I can let you slack off for a while." He spun around after saying this, and caught a wooden disc heading straight for his head. "Nice try."

"Not my fault," Usagi said.

Mamoru was sitting on the floor, with a hand over his stomach. "I used my sword to deflect that, but she hit me with the other disc while I was still thinking of my next move. Good thing these are practice weapons."

"Some are more skilled with certain weapons than others," Hakko said, pointing at the far end of the room. Rei was there, using a practice bow. The target was a good fifty meters away, but she had managed to hit its center with nine out of ten arrows. "Quite good."

Rei walked to the man and smiled. "I'll be happy when I can hit a coin-sized target from a block away."

"Your foes won't stand still."

"I know that. Hey Terry, start running."

"Sorry, I'm busy right now." He looked at Rei, then at the target, then smiled. "But here's a target."

Rei saw the blue airboard appear in front of her and start flying around. She shot at it, but the board changed its direction, avoiding the hit. "Won't this distract you?"

"No, the base's computer is 'driving' it right now."

As Rei started using the new target to practice, Usagi was fighting Hakko, using her own chakram. Hakko was amused by those gadgets, as the girl had made them bladeless with but a thought. He was just blocking or dodging her swipes, as she knew the girl needed to improve her offense more than her defense.

Mako walked in and saw Usagi's fight. "I see we're having fun."

"When she actually focuses on something, she can be good at it," Terry noted.

Usagi was aware of one major disadvantage she had. She could throw energy blasts around for longer than any of her friends, but when it came to physical combat, she couldn't keep going for too long. These mock battles weren't meant to be won, specially not when fighting Hakko, but she could still try and surprise him.

Hakko blocked a chakram swipe, and got ready for the next one, but then he saw something which made him freeze for a fraction of a second. The girl's other chakram had suddenly turned into a wooden sword, and she tried to stab him with it. As he deflected the blow, he saw her other weapon was now a wooden mallet, and barely managed to block it. He saw Usagi was just staring at him in shock, and frowned. "What's wrong, Tsukino?"

"Didn't think you would be ready for that."

"Not the first time I fight someone whose weapon can change its shape," Hakko admitted, "but I didn't think you would do that."

"In short," Terry said, walking away from the computer for a moment, "he wasn't quite 'ready' for it, but already knew what to do in case it happened."

"Expect the unexpected," Brad said.

"Okay, I suppose that's enough practice," Rei said, walking to the others.

Terry looked at the computer. "Apparently, you hit my board with thirty-eight out of forty arrows. Nice."

"... You were keeping track of it?"

"The computer was."

Brad smiled at Rei. "I bow to your skills."

Rei stared at him for a few seconds before shaking her head. "Minako, what did you see in this guy?"

"Sometimes, I wonder that myself," Minako admitted.

Terry looked at the others in turns. "I know I'm not training as much as you, guys, but-"

"You don't need it as much as the rest of us," Mako admitted. "But what are you and Ami doing, anyhow?"

"Besides the computer's AI, I'm trying to get the airboards and weapons done as soon as possible." He looked at Usagi. "Which reminds me..." A board appeared hovering near him. "I finished this one already."

Usagi looked at it. "They work just like the weapons?"

"Yeah. You've seen me smack a few faces with mine already."

The board floated to Usagi, and she smiled. "Thanks."

"You should test it here before using it outside," Terry warned.

"It can't be that hard to-"

"I took quite a few falls while testing my own board, and Ami didn't fare much better."

"Eh, guess I'll try it out first, then. It just wouldn't look good for the mighty Sailor Moon to fall off her airboard while heading to a battle."

* * *

"Haven't seen you girls outside school lately."

"You guys are always at your base, and since Hakko's training you, we thought you didn't need us anymore."

Usagi shook her head. "Most of us consider you our friends. You're welcome to go there whenever you want."

Emi smiled. "Thanks."

Aki leaned back on her chair. "I must admit you're not a bad group."

"... That's her way of saying thanks," Emi noted.

Hotaru looked around. "Seriously, guys, we need to stop talking about certain things in here."

Emi scanned the classroom and then shrugged. "Don't worry, the SEP spell keeps them from hearing, in a way."

"What's SEP?"

"Well, that's not its real name, but my brother calls it Someone Else's Problem. It makes people ignore things they 'shouldn't' hear or see. They still hear and see them, but their minds quickly decide they're not their problem."

Usagi thought about it for a minute, then nodded. "I think I understand. The Mooncats use something similar."

"We noticed. If everyone could see those marks they have, they would eventually connect the dots." In fact, Aki thought, it was likely the Demon Hunters had simply emulated the Mooncats' ability, rather than creating the spell.

* * *

Later that day, Usagi had decided to take ChibiUsa to the park. Despite the strange way in which this girl had appeared, and how much she wasn't telling her (either because she didn't know, or she couldn't,) Usagi still felt strangely close to her. Almost as if she was really a part of her family. Maybe that cat-faced ball was affecting her after all?

She saw ChibiUsa suddenly freeze in shock, and looked in the direction the younger girl was staring. There was a woman with white, long hair, wearing a form-fitting cyan suit. It wasn't hard for Usagi to guess what that meant. "Another one?"

"Hello there, rabbit," the woman said, ignoring Usagi as she stared at ChibiUsa. "It's time for you to die."

"Moon Prism Power!"

"Hmph, like that will help you."

"I don't care who you are, but you're not going to hurt her!"

"Name's Beruche, kid, and you shouldn't assume I'm alone."

"Dark Fire!"

Moon realized what that last bit meant a little too late, and was knocked down to the ground by a flame blast. "Cooan..."

"You can't defeat us both, kid. Just give up."

Moon staggered up, and glared at the two women in turns. "I'm not a kid, my name is Sailor Moon!"

"Dark Ice!"

Moon summoned her weapons, using one to block the ice blast. Still, she knew this would not be an easy fight. Both women were above her level, and outnumbered her.

"Hey Ayakashi!"

Cooan turned to mock the 'Rabbit' but saw the small girl was holding a _very_ large, metal hammer. "What the-"

Moon saw Cooan get hammered into a tree, and frowned. That thing wasn't a toy, it changed forms like... "Oh, now there's a plan."

"Stupid human, you won't defeat me on your own!"

"Good thing I can even the odds, then. Shadow Arrow."

Moon smiled as Beruche was knocked back by a darkness blast. "Thanks."

Warwitch floated to her. "I'm not strong enough to defeat them, but you are."

"I can barely keep up with them..."

"Trust yourself, I'll help-"

"Dark Pyre!"

Moon gasped as Warwitch was wrapped in flames. When the attack ended, the witch was on her knees, her arms burnt and her face a mask of pain. "No..."

"That's what she gets for messing with us. Weaklings should just die without struggling!"

Moon glared at Cooan. "You... I cannot forgive you!" an aura of light surrounded her, and she closed her eyes.

"Crap, is she powering up?"

"No, it's something else, what-"

Moon smiled. She could see it in her mind, but she didn't think something like this would happen. She could guess even Terry would be surprised, but still, this could just be what she needed right now. Her two weapons shone with light as she spun, and she stopped, raising them both above her head. "I'm no weakling, I'm no kid, and I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else. Moon..." She tossed both discs at Cooan and completed her attack phrase. "...Double Flight!"

Cooan's shock didn't let her move away in time. Beruche saw the attack clearly, the two discs spiraling around each other, energy cracking around them. The discs hit Cooan, sending her flying away, and then corrected their course, heading straight for Beruche. "As if! Dark Freeze!"

The discs punched right through Beruche's attack, which was a large ball of ice, and she was also knocked away by them. Moon saw the two evil women were down, and sighed as her weapons returned to her. She then looked at Warwitch, who was still on her knees, but healing herself. "Thanks for your help, Warwitch."

"I suck, all I did was-"

"You're better at it than I was when I started," Moon admitted.

Warwitch noticed the two women were gone. "They escaped."

"I don't mind. In fact, it's good they decided to leave, that stunt really drained me."

"I see. In any case, it's time for me to leave."

"Why don't-"

"Not yet, Moon. Phase."

Moon looked around. "ChibiUsa?"

The girl walked out from behind a tree. "I'm here."

"Let's go to the base, I need to tell the others about what happened."

* * *

They had observed the twins for a while, and knew what to do. Natsumi and Seijuro Ginga lived in an old mansion in the outskirts of Juuban, but that mansion had been abandoned for years, and the two current residents had moved in only a few days ago, coincidentially, the day after the strange meteorite incident. And Emi had seen Ail and Ann fly out of the mansion. They were using some kind of magic which made it impossible for normal humans to see them unless they wanted them to, but it didn't work with those like her.

Right now, Emi and Aki were looking at the mansion. Maria was near, keeping an eye on the area, as they were going to try and find out what exactly was in there. "No barrier of any kind around the building, and I sense no 'alarms,' technological or magical, either."

"Good, let's go in and out fast," Aki said.

The two teleported in, and saw the inside of the building didn't look much better than the outside. Those two didn't care about dirt, apparently. However... "Can you feel it?"

Emi nodded. "A faint magic aura, in that direction."

They walked for a minute before finding it. "Whatever it is, it's inside this room." Aki opened the door, and the two of them gasped at what they saw. A large tree, its roots sank into the flooring, while its top had punched a hole through the two upper floors of the mansion. "What is that?"

"Looks just like a tree. But I've never seen a tree like this one before."

"It's withering."

"Not surprising, trees are meant to be outside."

"No, I don't think this one-" Emi frowned and walked to the tree, placing a hand on it. She yelped and pulled it back, staring at it and the tree in turns. "This thing feeds on life energy?"

Aki shook her head. "If what I sensed is true, then no." She reached her hand out, a thin stream of light forming between her and the tree. After a few seconds of this, she smiled. "As I thought, it feeds on raw mana."

Emi saw the tree looked healthier. "But why are those aliens draining civilians, then? Won't find a lot of mana in them."

"Perhaps they don't know that, perhaps any other worlds they've been to didn't have their mana capped like ours does."

_'Girls, leave whatever you're doing and get out of there, I sense the two aliens coming our way.'_

Aki heard Maria's message and sighed. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

Terry just stared at Usagi as she finished her story. "That is..."

"So I guessed right, you didn't know my weapons would give me a new attack."

"I didn't see that as possible, either," Ami admitted, "but that's another reason to finish the rest of them quick."

"Think you can use that again?" Terry asked, "I'd like to get a reading."

Usagi complied and transformed, then summoned her chakrams. "Moon Double Flight!" The discs hit the far wall of the room, and kept going, drilling through a dozen meters of rocky wall before bouncing back to Moon's awaiting hands.

Ami was checking her computer, noticing Terry was as surprised as she was. "Amazing."

Moon walked to them. "Huh? What's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, but your attack has about ten percent less power than Mars' Twilight level one. That makes it almost as strong than some of our Twilight attacks," Ami explained. "Slightly stronger than mine, even."

"Wow..." Moon stood there, frozen, for a second, then smiled. "Hell yeah, I'm the best!"

"Overestimating your own powers is as deadly, or deadlier, than underestimating your foes."

Ami looked at Terry and smiled. "You can sound smart and mature when you want to."

"But if I was smart and mature all the time, I would be a boring old man like Hakko."

Usagi sighed. "But what you said is true, Terry. Shouldn't let power get to my head."

"At least there would be something in there, for a change," Rei noted.

Usagi glared at her. "Shut it, firebrain."

"Slacker."

"Pyro."

"Airhead."

"Magma breath."

Terry looked at Ami. "Thought they were over that phase."

"Me too."

The guy smiled slyly and tossed a couple spheres near the two girls. As usual, a cloud of smoke surrounded his targets, and he nodded. "And that's how you stop an argument."

As the smoke cleared, however, Usagi was holding a heavy-looking mallet. "That was rude, Terry."

Rei produced one of her charms and nodded. "Now we'll have to punish you."

Ami cleared her throat and looked at the two girls in turns. "Save all that energy for our enemies."

Terry shook his head. "Actually, these two slackers need to train and Hakko's out of town for the day, so... Just try to hit me, girls."

Ami sighed as she saw her friends fighting. She knew they wouldn't hurt each other on purpose, but they could sure look like they wanted to, sometimes.

* * *

**A/N:** Moon just invented the Double Kiensan. Those who suffered the old Dragon Ball Z dubs will know it as "Destructo Disc."

One short scene was moved from last chapter to this one, just in case some readers get a feeling of deja-vu.


	34. Surprises

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 34: Surprises.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 8, 2013_

* * *

"We don't have much time left."

The girl looked at the tall tree and nodded. "We will have to risk attacking the Senshi."

"We could use the other group as a distraction, Ann."

Ann smiled at that. "True, those women seem to be attacking the Senshi, we could use that to our advantage."

Ail was smiling too, but suddenly frowned. "But what if one of them dies because of-"

"I would hate that, but it's a risk we must take. If the tree dies, we die with it."

* * *

She knew it would happen eventually, but it didn't make it any easier for her. Those two women were strong, and she was not as much of a help to the Senshi as she had hoped. Moon and the others, they were the real deal, she was just a fangirl in a silly outfit.

_"You're better at it than I was when I started."_

She wondered if that was true. No, it couldn't be, Moon was just trying to make her feel better.

Yukiko smiled as she saw Usagi walk by, but saw something else. A cat? "Huh, I didn't know she had a pet cat." She suddenly frowned and stared at the cat. Yes, she could see it, it had a crescent mark in its forehead, just like Sailor Moon's one.

...

Just like Sailor Moon's one?

"No, it can't be."

"Hi, Yuki."

She smiled at Usagi as the blonde waved at her. "Hi."

"Hey, I was going to Crown, want to tag along?"

Yukiko nodded. "Sure, let's go." She looked at the cat again. Yeah, the mark was there. She couldn't help but smile, when she moved to this area, she had dreamed about meeting the Senshi and becoming their friend, and now she knew one of them was her friend already. She understood Usagi had very good reasons to keep it a secret from her, but perhaps she could break the ice by telling her first. "I didn't know you had a pet."

Usagi looked down at Luna. "Her name's Luna."

"That's a strange mark she has," Yukiko said, "it's just like the one Sailor Moon's cat has."

Usagi stared at Yukiko. Luna had told her no normal human could see that mark, so that meant... "What- Who are you?"

Yukiko rose her hand, lightning dancing around it. "I wasn't sure about telling Sailor Moon who I was, but that was because I didn't know who she was."

"Warwitch," Luna said.

Yukiko smiled at Usagi. "I hope we can still be friends."

Usagi sighed. "Is every friend I make going to end up being a magician?"

Luna looked up at Yukiko. "What exactly are you?"

"I'm no Senshi, I don't know where my powers came from. I just found out I had them, and decided to use them to help the Senshi, to protect civilians."

"This is no game, Yukiko."

The girl stared at Luna. "I know that. I'm not doing it because it's fun, I'm doing it because having these powers and not using them to help others would be wrong."

"You didn't choose to be what you are, but you're not running away from it," Usagi said. She could understand what Yukiko was saying, because she felt the same way.

"And since I like to think I'm smart, I'll go and guess most of your friends are Senshi too."

"Good guess." Usagi looked at Luna again, then at Yukiko. "Hey, want to see our base?"

Yukiko stopped and stared at Usagi for a few seconds. "You have a base?"

"We must be quite good at stealth, if even our greatest fan doesn't know about it," Usagi mused.

* * *

Terry and Ami were inside the base, and they were both surprised to see Usagi walk in, along with someone else. "What is she doing here?"

Yukiko decided to answer that without words. In a blink, her normal clothes were replaced by those of Warwitch, and her hair turned purple, as did her eyes. "Surprise!"

Ami scanned her. "Quite a lot of magic energy. Not as much as a Twilight Senshi, but close enough."

"So what are you, an alien, a Demon Hunter..."

"Neither," Warwitch said. "I thought I was a plain human girl until I moved here. A few days ago I was attacked by a monster, but I knocked it away with a jet of flames. That's when I found out about my powers."

"Can you use many elements?"

Warwitch smiled. "I've tested, and I know I can use fire, ice, wind, water, earth, darkness, light... And I can heal myself, as Usagi saw last time I helped her."

"Sounds a bit... Broken," Terry noted.

Ami had summoned her visor and was looking at Warwitch. "Her energy reserves are low, compared to us."

"And I have zero skills when it comes to fighting. The staff's just for shows."

"That's too bad," Terry said.

Warwitch noticed Terry's stare. "What?"

"You look cute with purple hair."

Usagi sighed. "Don't mind him, he flirts with anything female and humanoid."

Ami giggled at that. "That he does."

"And you don't mind?" Warwitch asked.

"I don't mind where his eyes are, because I know who his heart belongs to."

Hotaru walked in right then, and saw Warwitch talking to the others. "I see we have a security breach. Should I eliminate the threat?"

"She's Yukiko," Usagi explained.

"I see," Hotaru said, staring at the girl with a neutral face. "How do we know we can trust her?"

"I trust her, she's helped us fight-"

"You trust everyone, it must be a birth defect," Hotaru noted.

"I won't tell anyone about who you are," Warwitch said. "It would only complicate things for you."

"You better don't," Hotaru said.

"Serious, emotionless, and yet you care about your friends this much... You must be Saturn."

"She's done her homework," Hotaru noted with a sigh.

"She doesn't mean to sound hostile, it's just a birth defect," Usagi said to Warwitch, then winked at Hotaru.

"Good one," Hotaru muttered.

Usagi looked around. "So, where's everyone? Where's Hakko?"

"He was going to talk to his sister about something, and the others... Guess they took the day off."

"You two should go out on a date or something," Usagi commented.

Ami blushed slightly. "We could, but we were trying to finish something else right now."

"And that is..."

"Mercury Twilight Power!" After transforming, Mercury smiled as a couple tonfa appeared in her hands. "These."

"Tonfa?" Warwitch asked. "What's the deal with those weapons?"

"We're building them, weapons which can use our mana, and since Moon was able to create a new attack with hers, then-"

"You will get new attacks with those too?"

"But I thought Ami liked to stay in the background," Usagi noted.

"I will only use them for melee if I'm on my own and out of mana," Mercury said, "but they can also do this." As she said that, she aimed the upper side of one tonfa at the far wall, and a few ice balls shot from it. "See?"

"Just like your chakrams, these work as both long and short range weapons," Terry said.

"Alert. Evil entities located near the Tsukino residence."

"Close to my house? Damn..."

"But they're not attacking yet," Terry said. "Let's surprise them."

Usagi looked at Warwitch. "Can you take passengers?"

"Teleporting? I think I can handle one person, never tried."

"We'll catch up with you," Terry said.

Warwitch waited until Usagi transformed. "Let's go, then. Phase."

* * *

Mako was, meanwhile, taking care of a different problem. She walked straight to the office, and entered it without knocking. "Hello."

"Mako, don't you ever knock?" Kino mused.

"Not in the mood for formalities. I just want you to know that you should pick your hounds better."

"Hounds, what do you-"

"You know what I mean. I saw a couple men following me, and I know I saw them inside this base before."

"That's- I'm just worried, you live in the area where all those attacks happen, and..."

"Uncle Taichi, you can't fool me. You suspect me of being one of the Senshi."

The man looked at his niece and then sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you."

"Just tell them not to follow me anymore, next time I could accidentally electrocute them."

Kino gasped at that. "You mean-"

"Jupiter Twilight Power!"

The man shook his head. "Mako, you do realize there's a cammera in here, right?"

Jupiter winced at that. "Damn, I-"

"Don't worry, recordings can be lost or replaced. Still, when did you become one of them?"

"Right after I was sent to that school. I didn't choose to be this, but-"

"Don't worry, other Senshi explained that to us already. Just be careful, okay?"

"I will." Jupiter sensed something and sighed. "Duty calls."

"Go, I'll take care of the cammeras."

"... Always fixing my screw-ups," Jupiter muttered, then turned back to normal. "Sorry."

"Don't be, I promised my sister that I would take care of you."

* * *

"Why aren't we attacking?"

Beruche sighed. "I told you. If we just walk to her, that brat's going to use her toy to keep us busy until the Senshi arrive. Attacking when your target is still unaware of you is the best-"

"Moon Double Flight!"

Warwitch chuckled as the two women were knocked down to the ground by the chakrams. "Yeah, surprise attacks are the best strategy."

Cooan stood up, glaring at Moon. "Damn it, you pests again?"

"I was about to ask the same thing," Moon said.

"Now, brother!"

Warwitch heard that and turned to the side, and saw a rather large energy ball heading straight for Moon. "Moon, watch out!"

Moon wasn't fast enough to move out of the way, but something stopped the blast. She was knocked down as Warwitch flew right at her, and as she stood up, she saw her friend wasn't looking good. "Warwitch, no..."

Cooan and Beruche walked to Moon, but the two aliens stood between them. "You two... Leave."

"No, you leave. We need this Senshi's energy, and we will fight you for it if-"

"Double Flight!"

The alien twins were sent flying up and straight into a wall. They sank to the ground, and Ann looked at Moon. "You are... Too strong for us."

Moon saw the twins vanish, but knew the other two were still there. The good thing was that they weren't trying to kill ChibiUsa, but on the other hand, they were focusing on her, and she knew she couldn't use her new attack again. "Because of you, my friend was hurt. I'm not going to forgive you!"

"Nice speech, kid, but you don't look like you can fight us anymore."

Moon glared at Beruche, then smiled. "I told you to stop calling me a kid. And I don't need to fight you."

"Snow Spray!"

"Grim Wave."

"Icycle Spray!"

The three attacks sent the two evil women sailing forwards, and Moon smiled as she punched them both straight in the face. "That's for Warwitch."

Beruche realized several things. She couldn't even stand up, her sister was out cold, and the Senshi all seemed ready to finish the job. Running away wasn't such a shameful thing in her mind at the time. "Damn brats."

Moon looked at Saturn. "Check on her, please."

Saturn leapt off Dragon Mercury's board and put a hand on Warwitch's forehead. "She's alive, but whatever hit her did a lot of damage. Don't worry, I can heal her, it will just take a while."

Moon looked at the others. "She took a shot for me. We tried to sneak up on the Ayakashi, and ended up being surprised by the other aliens. "

"Have they teamed up to fight us?"

"No, they wanted my energy, and were quite ready to face the Ayakashi to get it. But they got distracted so I knocked them away."

"And that's when we showed up," the Dragon guessed.

"Don't blame yourself, Moon," Mercury said, "we all make mistakes."

"But I don't want to see my friends getting hurt, I-"

"I really like that about you, Usagi."

Moon looked to the side and saw Warwitch was sitting on the ground, and Saturn was still healing her. "Yuki, I'm sorry, I..."

"It's okay, I was dumb enough to jump on that thing's path, after all."

"It would have hurt me a lot less than it did to you," Moon noted.

"I don't want to see my friends get hurt, either," Warwitch said, then looked at Saturn. "Thanks."

Saturn nodded. "I guess if you're willing to jump in to protect Moon like that, then I can trust you."

Moon noticed Warwitch staring at her in a strange way. "Yuki, what's wrong."

Dragon Mercury smiled. "I know that look, but I think you're a bit late, Warwitch."

Moon looked at him, then at Warwitch, who blushed. "You mean you..."

"I'm okay with just being your friend," Warwitch said, "it's already a lot more than I hoped for before I moved here."

Mercury caught what the others meant, and stared at Warwitch for a few seconds before smiling. "Jupiter and Mars don't have-"

"If those are who I'm guessing, then trying would get me electrocuted, or burnt to a crisp."

The Dragon chuckled. "It's a miracle I didn't end up like that."

Jupiter rushed in right then. "Uh, guess I'm late." She saw Warwitch there and frowned. "Hey, why is she still around?"

"She's Yukiko," Moon said.

Jupiter blinked at that. "I see. Anyhow, guys, the General knows who we are."

Mercury nodded. "There were a couple men following me around the last few days. It was rather easy to find out who they were using my computer."

"Curiosity killed the General," Saturn said.

Jupiter cracked her knuckles. "Don't even-"

"It was a joke," Saturn said.

Jupiter sighed. "Good, but you know, you, joking, out of character..."

"I get that a lot," Saturn admitted.

"If she sticks around, she'll turn into a human being sooner or later," Dragon Mercury joked.

"Either my understanding of humor is not as good as I thought, or your sense of humor reeks. And I'm pretty sure I understand how humor works," Saturn said.

"Are you guys always this weird?" Warwitch asked.

"The weirdness factor seems to multiply exponentially with every new member we get," Mercury admitted.

* * *

"Can't I tell them yet?"

"No, not yet, Small Lady. But they will need to know the truth soon."

ChibiUsa sighed. "Puu, I miss home."

"I know, but you must be strong. For your mother and her friends."

The girl smiled at her friend. "I will. And this wasn't bad, I got to meet Sailor Moon."

The woman smiled back at her. "Next time you see me, I'll tell them all they need to know to defeat this foe."

"I want to be as strong as Sailor Moon when I grow up," ChibiUsa said, then looked around. "Aww, she left."

* * *

As Ail and Ann reached their mansion, they saw there was someone there. Three intruders, and they knew they wouldn't be able to fight them in their current condition. They didn't even have energy left to teleport away. "Damn it... A trap."

Mira looked at Ann. "We're not here to fight, we're here to talk."

"Moon just gave us a nice beating, so I suppose we'll listen," Ail admitted.

"We know why you're draining humans," Circe explained, "we've seen your tree. Our guess is, you need to feed that tree in order to survive."

"Our energy comes from that tree," Ann explained, "if it dies, we will run out of energy."

"Starving to death," Calisto said, flinching. "The bad thing is, we can't let you drain civilians... And that tree seems to need _a lot_ of energy, so giving you our own mana isn't going to work."

"If we could drain one of the Senshi..."

"We can't let you do that, either, and I suppose you already tried."

"Yes."

"You should talk to the Senshi. Show them that you're not evil."

"We already tried to hurt their leader and hurt one of her friends. I don't think-"

"Ail and Ann would get a harsh welcome, but perhaps Natsumi and Seijuro will have it easier."

Ann nodded at Mira. "Hope you're right about that."

"We know the Senshi, they don't shoot without listening, as long as you're also willing to talk."

Circe smiled. "And don't worry about your tree, we gave it some energy, should keep it going for a week."

"Thanks."

"No problem," Calisto noted. "A friendly warning, however, if you try anything funny, I will call a hundred mages like us and make sure your tree's ashes in the wind."

"We're no warriors," Ail said, "we just need a place to stay."

Mira nodded. "Good. Let's go, girls."

Ann sighed as the Hunters left. "So, this is it."

"We don't have a choice, the Senshi will be ready for us. We're lucky to be alive after Moon's attack, and I sensed the other Senshi are even stronger."

* * *

**A/N:** They don't make secret identities like they used to.

Ami's weapons are heavily based on the weapons used by Elie from Rave.


	35. Good alien, bad alien

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 35: Good alien, bad alien.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 10, 2013_

* * *

Waking up early had its ups and downs. On the bright side, she wasn't sent to stand in the hallway, but she usually had to wait for her friends to get to the classroom, so she had nothing to do until then. That morning wasn't much different, and Usagi saw only two classmates were there, the Ginga twins.

"Hello, Tsukino."

"Hi." Usagi was surprised, those two weren't quite sociable. "You two seem worried."

Natsumi decided it was a good time as any to drop the bomb. "That's because we don't know if you'll like what we need to tell you."

"What you need to-"

"I'll start by apologizing for hurting your friend yesterday. And for trying to hurt you."

Usagi wasn't a genius like Ami, or even as smart as Terry, but she still could figure out what they meant. She took a step back and stared at the twins in shock. "You two, you are..."

"We're just trying to survive, but we're no warriors. We don't want to cause any deaths, but yesterday that almost..."

Usagi saw the girl was upset. She also knew the two weren't attacking her right now, in fact they seemed quite eager to talk. "It's not me you should be apologizing to," she noted, "but I can't let you drain people like that."

"A few friends of yours told us that your group may be able to find an alternative to that."

"I suppose I could tell Mercury to-"

"Hey, Usagi, finally managed to befriend those two?"

Usagi turned to see Yukiko walking to them, and cringed. "Yuki, they are... Ail and Ann."

Yukiko glared at them, fire and lightning swirling around her hands. "You..."

"Wait!"

She looked at Usagi. "What the heck?"

"They were telling me that they will stop draining humans if we can find an alternative-"

Yukiko calmed down slightly. "Hmph. They should also stop shooting at the good guys."

"Sorry about that, Hokuge," Natsumi said. "It was Seijuro who shot, but it was my plan to attack Moon. We were desperate."

"We don't eat animals and plants, we only need energy to live, but this world's apparently quite empty. The only way to get energy is to drain it from humans."

"I see, you're like vampires?"

"_I told you Usagi wouldn't fry them._"

Usagi turned to see Emi and Aki walk in. Had Aki just made a comment in Spanish?

Aki smiled at Usagi's surprised face. "Maria's been teaching me, and Emi here's a language freak."

Seijuro looked at Usagi. "We'll give you our address, you can bring your whole group if you want."

"We'll tag along," Emi said, "we already know a few things about them, but we want to hear the rest of the story."

* * *

Shade was walking around, trying to find clues on where the Ayakashi came from, but so far she had found nothing. Luna and Artemis had also been searching, but those women were harder to find than they thought. She saw something and stopped for a second. _'That's Chiba's sister.'_

Karin saw the cat and frowned. She could see it clearly, a mark on the cat's forehead, a lopsided crescent moon. "What are you, kitty?"

"Meow?"

"I know you're like Sailor Moon's cat, so drop the act."

Shade flinched. This girl could see through the disguise? That meant she could be...

Karin sighed and shook her head. "Come on, I know you guys can speak."

Shade checked the area and saw there were no civilians near them. "Good for you, Karin."

"You know my name?"

"Your brother's a Senshi."

Karin blinked at that. "That explains the way he's acted for the last few months."

Shade smiled, she had to tell the girl something else, and she knew it would surprise her. "However, only magical beings can see through our disguise. Normal humans don't see the mark, and thus dismiss us as normal cats."

"I think I know what you're implying, but... _Me_, a Senshi?"

"You're not the first one to say that. Follow me."

"Where?"

"To meet your leader."

* * *

Only a few of the Senshi went to meet the two aliens, but Usagi was sure even a small group was too much. These aliens didn't seem to be lying, and despite what her friends said, she knew she could trust them.

"That's a big house."

"Not as big as mine, but yeah," Terry commented.

Natsumi and Seijuro smiled as the door opened on its own. "Let's go, we'll show you the Makaijuu."

"_Makai_juu?" Mako said, looking at Aki.

"Eh, just a coincidence," Aki muttered.

The group walked around the building for a minute before they reached the large room where the alien tree was. "That's the second largest tree I've ever seen," Kage commented.

Ami was using her visor and her computer to analize the tree. "I see, this tree requires a particular kind of energy. We call it mana. Unfortunately, our planet's mana was capped by an event which happened a long time ago."

"And that's why we can only find mana in living beings," Ann, who had turned into her normal self, guessed.

"That's correct. However, this tree seems to be trying to break through the flooring with its roots, to find the ground. I suppose it's naturally attracted to mana, and once it digs down far enough, it will find plenty of it."

"So all we need to do is move it outside?" Ail asked.

"But this tree's obviously alien, people will notice-" Minako started, then saw the tree had turned into a Sakura tree. "... Disguise magic?"

"We've used it before," Ail said, "and it's the same power that let us become Natsumi and Seijuro."

"As long as you don't drain any civilians, we'll let you stay," Usagi said, "I'll trust you, but don't make me regret it."

"We won't, you're not a soft hitter," Ann joked.

Terry smiled at that. "And she's one 'level' below most of us. Senshi grow stronger the more they fight and train."

Ail stared at Moon in shock. "You're saying she's _weak_ right now? Then we definitely don't want you as our enemies."

"Why are you in this planet, anyways?"

Ann looked at Rei. "We're looking for a place where we can live. Our homeworld is gone, as far as we know we're the only two left, if we die our race dies with us.

Terry's watch started beeping, and he looked at it. "Oh shit."

"What's wrong?"

"Two alien entities, stronger than Cooan and her friend. They're targeting the other _Rabbit_."

"Yuki's keeping an eye on her," Usagi said, "but if they're stronger than the other two, she'll need our help."

"Change for the party and we'll take you there," Emi said.

* * *

"What the heck's this place?"

Shade smiled. "The Senshi's base. But I thought the Senshi would be here."

Luna looked up at Karin. "Mamoru's sister, a Senshi. Can't say I didn't consider it possible."

"... Wait, I've seen you around. You're Usagi's pet."

"I'm also Sailor Moon's guardian."

"Usagi is Sailor Moon? Wow."

"She gets that a lot," Artemis mused. He then looked at Shade. "You found her, so you do the honors."

Shade nodded, and did the usual jumping flip to summon a wand. "Karin, take that wand and search inside your mind, you will find the words you need."

Karin looked at the wand floating in mid-air for a second, then grabbed it. She closed her eyes and focused, and it didn't take long for her to open them. "And to think I used to think Senshi were fake." She stared at her wand for a few more seconds before smiling. "Earth Planet Power!"

* * *

The Senshi watched the scene in awe. The two new Ayakashi hadn't surprised their prey, since ChibiUsa was using a handgun to shoot at one of them, while Warwitch kept shooting small fire spikes at the other. Moon wasn't in the mood for playing fair, so she summoned her two weapons. "Double Flight!"

The two women staggered back as the attack hit them, and turned to Moon. "That almost hurt, kid."

"Let's kill them, Petz."

"Sounds fun, Karaberas."

"Dark Thunder!"

Petz produced a whip, lashing out at Karaberas' lightning blast, and absorbing it. "Dark Whip!"

The Senshi were all sent crashing to the ground by the electric wave the whip generated. "What the... Heck?"

"World, stop spinning," Venus muttered.

Moon, Mercury and Saturn staggered up, ready to try again, but someone beat them to it. Petz felt something hitting her side, and turned to Warwitch, who had just hit her. "Go away. Dark Whip."

Karaberas turned to ChibiUsa. "It's time for you to die, rabbit. Dark Thunder!"

Moon's eyes widened as she saw the attack heading straight for the small girl. "No!"

However, the attack never reached its target, as someone else took the hit for her. ChibiUsa looked at Saturn, who was kneeling on the ground, electric arcs still running through her arms and legs. "Are you okay?"

"I'll... Live," Saturn said.

Mercury glared at the two women. "You two, I don't care why you're doing this, you're evil and I'm not letting you do as you please." She summoned her weapons and pointed them straight up, a couple small ice blades appeared on top of them.

"Hey, is she going to melee those two?" Dragon Venus pondered. The rest of the Senshi were trying to stand up, they knew it would be up to them to end the fight if Mercury's stunt failed.

Mercury smiled and pointed her weapons at her foes, the ice 'blades' lighting up with a cyan hue. "Mercury..." She pointed the tonfa downwards, blade-first. "Ice..."

Karaberas was quite shocked. That girl's power was... "Sister, we need to stop her before she-"

Mercury wasn't going to let them stop her. She slammed both tonfa into the ground, and completed her attack phrase "Geiser!"

For a split second, nothing happened, but then an updraft wave of ice, snow and water shot from under the two women, who were sent flying up, bouncing once in the pavement before stopping. "They shouldn't be... This strong," Karaberas said.

"I'm not giving up yet."

"You should, creep."

A couple large energy balls hit the two women as they tried to stand up, knocking them back down. The Senshi looked up to see Ail and Ann floating in mid-air, glaring at the enemy.

Mira saw the women struggling to stand up, and frowned. "They're too stubborn for their own good. Luminiscence."

"Flametongue."

"Bolt Rain."

"Artic Wind."

A wide beam of light, a wave of fire, a rain of small electric sparks and a gust of icy wind all hit the two women, knocking them back down. Petz glared at the heroes, and then both sisters teleported away.

Mira looked at Warwitch. "Your magic's raw and untrained, but it's quite similar to ours."

"Could she be a Hunter?" Moon asked.

"No, we keep track of our numbers, if she was a Demon Hunter, she would have been born in one of our clans, and her powers would have been detected while she was still a toddler."

Saturn was still kneeling on the ground. If not for her healing powers, taking two electric blasts would have knocked her out. "Darn, those two hit really hard."

ChibiUsa hugged her. "Thank you, Saturn."

Saturn smiled at the girl. "I couldn't let them hurt you."

"She's smiling. Should we run?" Circe joked.

Saturn stood up and stared at her with her usual emotionless face. "Don't worry, I don't target weaklings."

"Good one."

Moon sensed something, and summoned her communicator. "Huh? Luna, what's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong, but you should come back to the base as soon as you can."

"Why?"

"It's easier to show you than tell you," Luna said and cut the call.

Calisto saw the Senshi were all looking at them. "Yeah, we know, you need a ride. We should start charging you for this. Mass Teleport!"

* * *

Dragon Mercury stared at the 'intruder' in their base. "Damn, just how many Senshi are there?"

"There could be one for each planet, and seeing there's a Sailor Moon and Dragon Sun, then there may be Senshi for satellites and other things, too," Mercury lectured.

"Where's my brother?" the new Senshi said.

"Brother?" Moon asked, then noticed the girl's skirt and bows were grey. "Wait, are you Sailor Earth? Karin?"

"That's me," Earth admitted.

"I could say I found her, but in fact, she found me," Shade admitted.

"As for your question, he said he had to study for an important test," Moon said.

Mercury noticed the Dragon staring at Earth. "Terry..."

Earth blinked at that. "Terry? You mean this guy is-"

Terry turned back to normal. "Guilty as charged."

"Stop staring."

"You're no fun," Terry muttered.

Earth frowned, and in a blink she shot forwards, kicking Terry's chest. Or at least she tried to, as Terry grabbed her leg, lifted her off the ground, and tossed her away in a rather unceremonious way.

"What the heck..." Earth said, staggering up.

"Just so you know, a kick like that used against a normal, unprepared human, could kill them on the spot," Terry said in a rather casual way. "Fortunately, I'm neither normal nor unprepared, and you may think you've got skills, but I can tell you're just a rookie, girl."

Earth was now staring at Terry. "Whoa, what's up with you? You sound... Different."

"He may be a joker most of the time," Mercury noted, "but he's the best melee fighter of our group, and when he's in 'fight' mode, he can sound like a different guy." She looked at Earth and sighed. "But you know, you attacked him outside of Senshi form, that's not fair. Why don't you try attacking me?"

"What's she planning?" Moon said to Terry.

Terry knew exactly what she planned, because he had 'helped' her find out, accidentally. "Watch and learn."

Earth sighed. "Are you serious? Aren't you Mizuno?"

"You shouldn't judge a cook by his brother," Venus said.

"Mina, you're doing that on purpose, aren't you?" Dragon Venus muttered.

"Doing what?"

"Nevermind."

Earth decided to humor Mercury, and went for a punch to her chest. Mercury, however, only reacted by giving a soft grunt, and then grabbed her arm, dragging Earth to her, and hitting her in the stomach with her free hand, causing Earth to stagger back and gasp for air. "Guess we're even."

Earth stared at her. "How can you be that strong?"

"I'm one level above you. It's not just our magic power that goes up with each upgrade we get, our physical power also goes up. But there's another lesson here, one you need to learn if you're going to be one of us. It doesn't matter how harmless or weak an enemy looks, never underestimate them, or you could get hurt, or worse."

"Lesson learnt," Earth said, then walked to Terry. "Sorry for trying to hit you, I guess my fuse is too short."

"No harm done," Terry said.

"... You're staring again."

"You'll get used to it," Mars admitted. "It's annoying at first, but he just looks. If he ever does touch, he'll be an ice cube in seconds."

Mercury smiled at that. "That's quite true."

"You were right," Warwitch said.

"About what?" Mercury asked, then chuckled. "Oh, about that."

"Just think about how we'll be when we get the four or five Sailor Senshi missing," Jupiter noted.

"Maybe there will be a Dragon for each planet too," Dragon Sun commented.

"If that's the case, I'll need to build a bigger base," Terry joked.

* * *

The man was obviously upset by his soldiers' last performance. "That was pathetic."

"Rubeus, we-" Petz started.

"No excuses. The Prince needs that girl dead. I'm giving you one more chance, but this time you will all attack together. If you fail again, then I will have to take care of those Senshi personally."

* * *

**A/N:** Yes, I use the old "Mamoru's long-lost sister is Sailor Awesome" plot device. Remove the "long-lost" and "Sailor Awesome" crap, and it's actually a pretty decent plot device, seen it work in fics other than mine... Assuming it does work in mine.

The Senshi will gather slightly faster in this version than they did in Cyber Moon Chronicles. If you are wondering if there will be more Senshi than before, or less, then the answer is... Yes.


	36. Rubeus

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 36: Rubeus.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 13, 2013_

* * *

"I'm pretty sure I know who she is."

"Really, do tell."

Usagi smiled as she listened to her friends. Umino and Naru were still in a gray area, but Usagi knew Naru would eventually tell him what she felt. Or perhaps Umino would? No, he was too busy with conspiracies and bugs. And speaking of conspiracies...

"I tell you, I'm quite sure I know who Sailor Moon is."

Usagi stared at him. "You do?"

"Yeah, she's clumsy but cares about her friends, and she's popular. It has to be Chie Wanako."

"Who are you calling clumsy?"

Usagi saw Chie walk in. "Don't mind him, he's just weird like that."

Chie nodded at that, and then went to talk to Karin, who was standing near the window.

"Crazy theories aside," Naru said, "I'm sure if the Senshi wanted their identities to be easily known, they would leave clues behind. Right, Hokuge?"

Yukiko nodded. "Yeah. I still have no idea who they may be," she lied.

Usagi looked at Karin and Chie. "Those two..."

"What about them?" Naru asked.

"I'm pretty sure they want to be more than friends."

"That would be surprising, since Chie's always chasing after guys."

"Gender's not important for some of us," Yukiko noted.

"Do you really mean that, or is it just an act?"

Yukiko stared at Naru for a few seconds, then leaned _very_ close to her. "Why, want to find out?"

Usagi saw Naru's face was beet red as Yukiko returned to her seat. "Yuki..."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to steal anyone's girlfriend, or boyfriend, but that doesn't mean I can't tease."

"You sound like me, only female," Terry commented.

"Cute, she just needs a few billion dollars and a lot of horrible jokes and she'll be a Terry-ette," Mako noted.

Yukiko was right, Usagi thought, they could be quite a weird group.

* * *

"Rubeus, Wiseman said there's a chance we could lose the war. We need that rabbit dead, _yesterday._"

Rubeus looked at the woman in the screen and nodded. "I know that, Esmeraude. Tell the Prince we'll have good news soon."

"You better hurry, Dimando's not happy about this delay in his plans."

The man turned to his soldiers as the screen went black. "It's time to attack."

"We will leave no Senshi standing," Beruche said.

Rubeus smiled humorlessly. "Don't mind if I remain skeptical of that until I see it happen."

* * *

Hakko was surprised about what had happened, but he had several theories for it. The Senshi had, in one week, shown an improvement which would take months to a normal human. Perhaps it was that they weren't normal humans, or that a part of the training they had in their past lives was still there.

If they kept training at their current speed, they would be up to his own level of skill in less than a decade. Considering their physical and magical power seemed to increase exponentially with each new upgrade (if his sources could be trusted, and since one source was a Senshi, he knew they could,) then they would be the strongest beings on Earth.

Terry had just won a mock battle, but he was a bit upset at his foe. "Come on, Karin, you weren't even trying."

"Sorry, it's just... I don't like lying to Chie. I never did before, why start now?"

Usagi had been practicing her aim, but stopped as she heard that. "Do you trust her? Do you think she can keep it a secret if you tell her?"

"Yes, she's good at keeping secrets," Karin said.

"You could tell her, but some enemies could try getting that information from her."

"I'll risk that, I don't like lying to her."

Hotaru landed on her back near them. "Okay, that's enough getting kicked around for me."

Kage smiled as he helped her back up. "Your endurance is improving."

"You know the saying," Minako said, "endurance is a bliss."

"That's just... Ugh, nevermind." Karin muttered.

"Even if she messed it up, it makes sense," Hotaru noted.

"Well, it _shouldn't_," Karin said.

Terry chuckled, then looked at Hakko, who was seemingly meditating. "Hey, Kyo."

"What is it?" The man said without opening his eyes.

"That trick you did that day... Back then I didn't have enough data to figure it out, but... It's not just a sword skill, right?"

"That day?" Hakko opened his eyes and nodded. "You mean what I did to those two Generals. Yeah, I'm not a Demon Hunter by title, but I have learnt a few tricks from my sister and others."

Kage looked at Terry. "What trick is he talking about?"

"The Alphard. I only wanted to disable them, so I used a four-headed version."

"Wow, I didn't know anyone other than mom could use that one," Kage said.

"Okay, what are you boys talking about?" Usagi asked.

Terry sighed. "I almost got killed the day Hana died, but Hakko got there in time to stop Luminite and Aurite from finishing the job. He did something to them, and they couldn't move after he did it. I didn't quite get to see what he did."

"I could repeat it, but I'll need a target," Hakko noted. "Don't worry, it won't hurt."

Usagi saw nobody was moving, so she walked to Hakko. "It won't be permanent, right?"

"No, don't worry. It can be reverted easily."

"Then go ahead."

"_Rabbit_, you're too brave for your own good sometimes."

"Guess you're a bad influence," Usagi said, smiling at Terry. She turned back to Hakko and nodded. "I'm ready."

"Okay, then transform."

Usagi did as instructed, and looked at Hakko. "Now what?"

Hakko hissed by, and Moon caught a glimpse of what he did, he poked both her arms with his fingers. She felt a stinging pain in her arms for a second, but she didn't feel anything else afterwards.

"That's a two-headed Alphard, the shortest version."

Moon frowned. "... I don't get what's so amazing about it."

"You don't? Try to use your magic."

"Moon..." She gasped as she couldn't move her arms. "Okay, now I think I get it."

Ami had been silently watching, but she had also scanned Moon. "He somehow cut the link between your arms and your brain. The damage isn't permanent and the effect will be gone in minutes, hours at most, but in a battle, it could be deadly."

"It has been proven to be deadly, even in this simple form."

"Why 'Alphard', though?" Ami said, then smiled. "Oh, I get it. An alpha Hydra."

"Ever used the nine-headed version?" Kage asked.

"Never had a reason to," Hakko said, "but I know how to do it."

"The more heads, the stronger the effect?"

"Not really," Hakko said, "the 'heads' are the points affected by it. Four heads to disable arms and legs, six heads to disable voice and hearing, eight will leave someone blind and disable their sense of tact."

"And the ninth?"

"It stops the target's heart," Hakko said, then smiled. "Anyhow, stand still."

"Wha-" Moon started, but Hakko run past her again before she could complete her question. She again felt a sting in her arms, and rose one up, sighing in relief. "You know, we could use something like that."

"You're ten years too early to learn that, and I don't mean it as an insult," Hakko said.

"So the trick you did when I tried my Fire Soul on you..." Rei guessed.

Hakko nodded. "I'm no magician, but I learnt to manipulate magic thrown at me. Again, you've got a lot to learn before you can try doing that."

"Oh shit."

Usagi looked at Terry. "What's wrong?"

"This," Terry said, pushing a few keys in the console. The large monitor lit up, showing a large object floating above Tokyo. At first sight it looked like a crystaline formation, but metal could be seen in some parts of it. "Either the Ginga remembered where they had parked their spaceship, or that's our four friends' toy."

"Yay, my first battle," Karin said, not sounding too happy.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to being kicked around by evil beings eventually," Hotaru said.

"... I feared someone would say that."

"And as expected, the ship's heading straight to Usagi's house," Terry muttered. "Time to go kick some evil aliens around."

* * *

As the group appeared, they could see things were, relatively, under control. Warwitch and two of the Huntresses were trading elemental attacks with Petz and Karaberas, while Ail and Ann kept Beruche busy, and ChibiUsa was chasing Cooan around with a chainsaw which looked too heavy for someone her size to swing around like she was.

"Okay, maybe we should just watch the show?" Dragon Sun joked.

"Double Flight!"

The attack knocked Petz and Karaberas straight into a large wall of flames Warwitch had just summoned.

"Guess that answers your question," Saturn noted.

Mira appeared near them, along with the few missing Senshi. "This looks fun."

Petz looked around and smiled. "Okay, they're all here. Time to start the show."

Cooan smiled. "About time." She vanished and appeared right next to her sisters, who gathered as their foes surrounded them. "Like shooting fish in a barrel."

"Except _you _are the fish," Jupiter said.

"Not quite. Dark Pyre!"

"Dark Freeze!"

"Dark Storm!"

Petz hit the three massive magic blasts with her whip, and then started spinning it over her head. "Dark Torment!"

A dome-shaped wave of darkness shot out in all directions, hitting everyone around the four sisters. Moon protected ChibiUsa with her body, and as she looked around, she noticed most of her friends were knocked out. "You fiends, I don't care how much you try, you're not getting her."

Cooan laughed. "We told you before, you're weak. You cannot beat us. Now give us that rabbit if you want to live, kid."

"I told you already, I'm not a kid!"

Petz blinked in shock. Moon had rushed in fast, and leveled Cooan with a jab. She then kicked Beruche in the chest, knocking her down as well, and the elbow to the stomach she gave Karaberas next looked rather painful. Petz managed to phase out of the way as Moon tried to hit her, but still, she had to admit Moon's attack had been rather impressive. "Hmph, credit where credit's due, but all I have to do is keep my distance and-"

"Dust Storm!"

Petz was hit by a wave of dust and small pebbles. While not enough to cause harm to her, it had still blinded her for a moment, and she saw Moon had taken that moment to move. "Huh? Where are-"

"Double Flight!"

The attack came from above, sending Petz down to the ground. Earth frowned as the four women staggered up. "They're stubborn, aren't they?"

"Burning Soul!"

"Snow Spray!"

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

"Twilight V-Laser!"

"Shadow Core."

"Grim Wave."

After the attacks, the four women weren't quite fit to fight anymore. "This isn't possible, how can these kids be so strong, the others were-"

"I knew you would fail. Still, you tired them down, and that was my plan from the start."

Petz looked up at the man who had just appeared near them. "Rubeus?"

"Esmeraude wants you back in the battlefield, there's some pests out there who are too hard to kill."

The four women glared at the Senshi, and then vanished. Moon stared at the man. "Who are you?"

"I'm Rubeus, one of the strongest warriors of the Dark Moon."

Mercury had taken her time scanning him, and cringed. "He's stronger than the four Ayakashi combined."

ChibiUsa was staring at the man, and Moon saw she looked quite frightened. "What's wrong?"

The small girl had seen this man before, back home. He was strong, too strong! She couldn't stay there, that man would hurt them all to get to her.

"ChibiUsa!"

Mars turned and saw the small girl running away. "Moon, go after her."

"But this man..."

"We'll take care of him," Dragon Earth said, "but it could all be a trap. We don't know if the Ayakashi are still out there."

"Guys, please be careful," Moon said before dashing away.

"Hmph, a bunch of weak Senshi? You have no hope of defeating-"

"But maybe we can help. Wrath of Ares."

"Fist of Zeus."

"Hades Mist."

"North Wind."

The Senshi stared at the attacks in awe. A large wave of flames hit Rubeus, followed by a barrage of lightning bolts. Before he could recover, a cloud of poison surrounded him, along with a freezing cold wind gust. To finish things off, two large energy balls hit him from the sides, causing a small explosion. But the man stood through it all, and smiled as the attacks ended. "The Senshi have a slight chance of defeating me, but low class mages like you? Don't make me laugh."

"Okay then, guess we'll have to hit you with all you've got," Mars snapped.

Rubeus laughed. "I know better than letting you try. Ruby Flash."

* * *

Moon found ChibiUsa close to the base. The girl sure could run, she mused for a second, before her mind told her she had more important things to worry about. "Hey, why did you run?"

"I... I thought he would follow me. I don't want him to hurt anyone."

"I already told you before, we'll protect you."

"Not from him. You don't know how strong he-"

Moon suddenly turned around as the sky lit up. "What was that?"

"Rubeus, he..." ChibiUsa started sobbing. "They should have run too, he's too strong."

"I have to go help them," Moon said. "Come with me, but stay hidden."

"No, if you go there, you'll get hurt too."

"I promised you I would protect you, and I never break a promise."

ChibiUsa looked at Moon. Perhaps she could defeat him, after all. "Sorry for running away."

"Don't worry about that, let's go back so I can kick that man's rear."

* * *

Sailor Pluto stood on top of a building, and at first sight, it would seem she was just staring at the horizon. But Pluto had learnt to use senses other than the five normal humans knew about. And what she saw was both reassuring and upsetting. This was a turning point in the current war, and it all came up to whether Moon could defeat her current foe or not. Still, this meant she would soon join the battle, at least for a while.

The Senshi still didn't know what they were facing, but that was about to change. There were things they needed to learn about ChibiUsa's home, and about their own destiny, in order to defeat the Dark Moon for good.

* * *

When Moon got to where she had last seen her friends, she noticed most of them were missing. "What happened here?"

Warwitch was the only one still relatively in one piece, but Moon guessed that was due to her healing spells. "Usagi, that guy was too strong. He shot some kind of light wave at us, knocked us all out. I think he took everyone else with him."

Moon could see the strange spaceship in the distance. "I can guess that's where he is."

Suddenly, an image appeared in the sky, it was Rubeus' face. Moon couldn't help but get a feeling of deja-vu when she stared up at the sky. "Sailor Moon, I have your friends with me. They're alive, but that can change. If you want to see your friends again, bring me the Princess, but don't bring any of your allies with you."

Warwitch was sure she had never seen Moon's face like that, it was clear she was fighting to keep her anger at bay. "Usagi, we'll he-"

"Didn't you hear him, Yuki?" Moon snapped, then sighed. "Sorry, I... He said I couldn't bring any ally with me. As much as I would like you to help me, that man could kill the others if I don't follow his terms."

"He may still kill them if-"

"Please, don't insist. Get the others to a safe place, and tell them what's going on. If I fail..."

"You won't. You're Sailor Moon."

Moon smiled. "You may be right. Still, if we don't come back, take care of this world for me, okay?"

"It's a promise." Warwitch saw Moon walk away, and noticed the others were waking up. "Welcome back."

"Ugh. What did we miss?" Calisto asked.

"Consciousness," Warwitch said with a smile.

_"Nag off."_

Mira looked around and frowned. "Where are the Senshi?"

"That Rubeus guy captured them, and then threatened to kill them unless Moon went there with her 'cousin,' alone."

"Damn, we have to-"

Warwitch shook her head. "We have to stay here and trust Moon. Rubeus said if anyone else went there, he would kill the others."

Circe frowned for a second, then smiled. "I don't think we need to worry about them, then. Rubeus' plan may look good, but he should have captured Moon too."

"How can you be so sure she'll win?" Ail asked.

"Because I've known Usagi for a while. If you fight her alone, you may win, but if you threaten someone she cares about, you're screwed."

* * *

**A/N:** About Karin and Chie, I'll only say _most _Cyber Moon couples will stay the same in Aeons.

As for Minako and her proverb-mangling skills... I happen to have a rather large book of proverbs, and finding ways to include them in the story at all the wrong times is actually fun. You know the saying, "a mangled proverb a day keeps the badfics away." Hey, I'm pretty sure that's how it goes. ;)


	37. Time and revelations

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 37: Time and revelations.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 15, 2013_

* * *

"Are you okay?"

ChibiUsa smiled at Moon. "Yes."

Moon knew the smile wasn't honest. "Don't worry, I won't let Rubeus hurt you. I'll go and-"

"I'm going, too."

"No, you can't go."

"I have to. He said he wanted you to bring me to him."

Moon sighed in defeat. The girl was quite smart for her age, and she was right, Rubeus wanted to catch them both. She would just have to make sure Rubeus couldn't touch her. "Guess you're right."

* * *

Something told her she shouldn't wake up, but she decided to open her eyes anyhow. As she did, she realized she was standing, and as she looked around, she saw her friends tied to X-shaped crystal constructs. "Hey, what's going on?"

Rubeus turned and noticed some of the Senshi were waking up. "Oh, good, I was afraid you wouldn't be up to witness my victory."

Venus glared at him. "What's the idea, pervert? Untie us right now!"

"Sorry, I can't do that, I need you as bait for your leader. And by the way, I wouldn't try using any magic attack if I were you."

"Good thing you're not me. Twilight V-Laser!"

Rubeus chuckled as Venus' magic was absorbed by the pillars she was tied to, causing her to scream as the energy backlashed, zapping her. "As I was saying, I wouldn't try using any magic attack if I were you, because the pillars you're tied to will return it right back to you."

"Could have said that last bit before I shot, jerk," Venus snapped weakly.

"Oops," Rubeus said with mock concern. "Now stand still kids," he added turning to a monitor, "your leader's here to surrender."

"As if," Mars said. "You're so sure of your victory, but you don't know Moon. She's going to kick your ass."

Rubeus smiled. "We'll see." He turned to the console he had walked to and pressed a couple buttons in it. Moon suddenly appeared in the room, along with ChibiUsa. "Welcome, Sailor Moon. I hope you're here to give up."

Moon stared at him, her face unreadable. "If I give her up, will you keep your word? Will me and my friends be able to leave this place?"

"Of course," Rubeus said, sounding as convincing as he could manage to.

Moon laughed humorlessly. "I'm not _that _naive. If I give up, you're still going to kill us all."

Rubeus glared at her. "That's right, so why fight?"

"Because I'm going to win."

Rubeus laughed, then his eyes shone red for a second. "Die!"

Moon gasped in shock. She could feel something pushing her down, her whole body felt heavier. She could barely kneel on the ground, and even moving her head up to look at Rubeus was hard. "What is this?"

Rubeus smiled, but it was a cold, sinister smile. "I can control gravity, girl. I guess your friends are about to see the show of their lives, they'll be able to watch you be crushed by your own weight, before I kill the Rabbit and them."

Moon slowly stood up, glaring at Rubeus. "I won't... Give up."

Rubeus was shocked for a second, but then shrugged. "I see, you're stronger than I thought. Still not enough!" He increased gravity around Moon, causing her to fall flat on her face. "Stop struggling, you can't win this."

ChibiUsa had, meanwhile, slowly moved to where the others were. "Everyone... I'm sorry, because of me you are-"

"Don't worry, Moon will win."

The girl looked around, and noticed the console was unguarded, as Rubeus seemed focused on Moon. "A little help won't hurt," she said and walked to it.

Meanwhile, Moon was struggling to stand up. It was not fair, Rubeus was just enjoying her struggles, and she knew if she gave up, then her friends were as good as dead. "My power's not enough to defeat you," she said.

Mars gasped. Was she giving up? No, she could see a thin line of light surrounding Moon. Things were about to get interesting.

Rubeus laughed. "Finally, you realize that you're hopeless."

"Never said that," Moon snapped, and again stood up.

"What? How can you resist that much gravity, it's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible for us," Moon said. "Moon Twilight Power!" The transformation only took a second, and as the light faded, Rubeus flinched as he sensed her energy. Moon's suit was much like the other Senshi's, except it had an extra, transparent skirt below her blue one, and her bows were slightly smaller than before.

Rubeus glared at her. "You're still too weak to defeat me!"

ChibiUsa had, meanwhile, reached the console. "I have no idea how to use this," she said, then smiled deviously, "but as someone once told me, if you can't fix it, break it." She summoned her Luna-P, which turned into a rather large metal mallet, and she slammed the console with it, wrecking it.

Rubeus heard the noise and turned to see the Senshi were all free. "No! What have you done?"

Mercury used her visor. "His energy's much lower than before. He must have been feeding off the ship's energy to create his attacks."

Moon stared at Rubeus. "I'm not heartless, I'll give you a chance to escape."

Rubeus glared at her. "Never! Ruby Laser!"

Moon looked at the incoming red beam dismissively. "Too bad. Moon..." She rose her hands, two large balls of mana appearing around them. "... Twilight..." She then lowered her arms, and the balls started shrinking. "... Beam!" She shoute that last word just as the balls seemingly vanished, and her hands lit up for a split second before a rather large, white beam surged forwards, knocking Rubeus back ad straight into the console, causing it to explode.

Jupiter saw the fire was spreading fast, and heard an explosion in the background. "Crap, I think we broke something."

Mercury nodded. "The ship's generator's overloaded, it could explode anytime now."

Moon ighed. "Let's go, we'll have to use the Sailor Teleport."

Dragon Venus smiled. "No need for that. Mass Teleport!"

Rubeus crawled out of the flames just in time to see the Senshi leave, along with his target. He was barely able to move, as Moon's attack had damaged him greatly, and the fire hadn't helped at all. "Damn it, I cannot die like this..." A woman appeared near him, and for a moment he thought it was Esmeraude, but he realized it wasn't her as he stared up at her. "Who are you?"

"Someone who sees potential in you. Do you want to kill the Senshi?"

"Yes."

"Then you should join me. But let's discuss this somewhere a bit less... Scorching."

And the woman vanished, along with Rubeus, a few seconds before everything around them exploded.

* * *

Moon looked up as the ship exploded. "Guess we left at the right time."

"Is anyone else exhausted, or is it just me?" Venus asked.

"Unfortunately, you have little time to rest, Senshi."

The group all looked at the newcomer, and only three of them knew who she was. "Pluto?" Saturn asked.

"Yes and no. I'm Sailor Pluto, but not the one you know."

"Yeah, that makes things clear as water," Dragon Sun noted.

ChibiUsa stared at the woman. "Puu, why are you here?"

"Because it's time for them to know what they're really facing."

"I think we should move to a more secure location," Dragon Mercury noted.

"Agreed," Pluto said, and they all vanished.

* * *

Yukiko wasn't surprised to see the Senshi back, but noticed there was a new one. "Hey, who's that?"

"Sailor Pluto, guardian of time."

"... So time is your element."

"Time and space."

"Sounds impossible, so that must mean it's true."

"Where are the others?"

Yukiko shrugged. "They left. I don't think they missed that explosion, though."

Moon looked at Pluto. "I suppose you're going to tell us about ChibiUsa and those aliens."

"Where did you meet this girl?" Saturn asked.

"The right question isn't where, but when. The Dark Moon Family is the leading clan of planet Nemesis, and they seemed peaceful at first, but they revealed their true intent a few years after first visiting the Earth."

"Wait, visiting the Earth? Are you talking about the ancient past?" Jupiter asked.

"No. The Dark Moon Family will come to the Earth during the thirtieth century."

"Thirtieth Century?" Saturn asked. "So that's what you meant. You're from that time."

"Yes, and so is ChibiUsa. She lives in the city of Crystal Tokyo. Her mother is the queen of that city, but unfortunately, the Nemesians injured her and the King, and the rest of the Senshi are trying their best to fight the invaders."

Moon looked at ChibiUsa. "You mean she's from the future?"

"Yes."

"You mention Senshi... That means there's Senshi in the future as well?"

"Who are they, our descendants?"

"Yes and no," Pluto said.

"I see a thousand years didn't change your habits," Dragon Sun noticed, "you love to speak in riddles."

Yukiko had been listening to it all, and she had to admit it sounded quite unbelievable. Still, she stared at the pink-haired girl. It had to be a coincidence, but still, coincidences seemed to happen a lot around the Senshi, from what she had seen thus far. "So you say she's from the future. And she looks just like Usagi. Her name's Usagi, even. And her mother's a Queen, who has Senshi of her own."

Mercury seemed to know what Yukiko was trying to figure out. "Moreso, she wasn't too shocked to find out Usagi was a Senshi, and seemed to recognize us first time she saw us..."

"Because she already knew us," Dragon Mercury said.

"What are you saying?" Venus asked, quite lost.

"It's a crazy theory, but what Yukiko noticed leads me to think it may be true," Mercury said. "Pluto, would I sound crazy if I told you I can guess we'll still be alive in the thirtieth century?"

Pluto smiled at that. "You would sound crazy, but it would still be true."

Mercury looked at ChibiUsa, who was smiling as if she already knew what they were trying to guess. "What's her mother's name?"

"Her title is Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo."

"Queen Sere-" Moon gasped and looked at ChibiUsa, then at Mamoru, and her face turned beet red. "No. Way."

Venus could guess what the others meant, but it sounded insane to her. "You're saying that kid is Usagi's daughter?"

"It makes sense, looking at the whole picture," Mercury admitted. "She's Usagi Tsukino, she came from the future, and her mother's Queen Serenity... Only thing that doesn't fit is our longevity."

"It's a consequence of magic itself. Magicians may live for a couple centuries, thanks to mana."

Dragon Venus nodded at that. "Yeah, I've heard that before."

"It sounds-"

Dragon Venus smiled at Venus. "Mina, how old do you think mom is?"

"I don't know... Forty? She doesn't look old."

"She celebrated her hundredth birthday half a decade ago."

"What?" Venus shouted.

Pluto nodded. "In the case of magic as strong as that of the Ginzuishou, its owner and other magicians close to them may live for many centuries. It has been theorized that it will keep Serenity and her Senshi alive for eternity, unless they're killed by something else."

"Wait, if our future selves couldn't defeat those guys, then how will we?"

"To know all that, you need to see it for yourselves."

"You mean, going to the future?" Dragon Mercury said. "Okay, I'll just go home and get the DeLorean out for a ride."

"I already said time is one of my elements. I can't send you there directly, but I can bring you to a place where you'll be able to reach your goal on your own."

"The time tunnel," Saturn guessed.

"Alert. Strong energy readings detected nearby."

Pluto looked up. "As expected."

"Another enemy?" Moon said. "We're in no shape to fight again."

Pluto smiled. "I know. Come with me."

* * *

The Senshi realized it wasn't a request as they saw they were outside. And most of them noticed the woman waiting for them out there. Light green hair, green eyes, a green dress, green shoes, even her nais were painted green. Only thing that didn't match the rest of her setup was the pink fan she was holding close to her face. "About time you show up, Senshi."

"Damn it," Dragon Mercury muttered.

"What's wrong?" Mercury asked.

"Why are all evil women so hot?"

Mercury sighed. "Should have expected that."

Pluto took a step forwards. "Esmeraude, if you're looking for a fight, then I will fight you myself."

The woman frowned. "We already defeated you once, time wench."

"You didn't, I just didn't see it fit to destroy you back then. It wasn't your destiny."

Esmeraude laughed. "Destiny? We're creating our own destiny."

Dragon Mercury saw Mercury was staring at Pluto. "Heh, should I be jealous?"

Mercury blushed slightly. "No, it's not that... But her power's much higher than Twilight."

Esmeraude was tired of waiting, so she decided to attack. She swung her fan in front of her, creating a crescent-shaped energy blast. Pluto, however, stood there and took the hit without flinching. "What? You can't be that strong!"

"I can, and I am," Pluto said.

Esmeraude noticed the Senshi were all focused in her. That meant the Princess was an easy target. She decided to take her chance and win the war in one single blow. She vanished, reappearing right besides the small girl, but was rewarded by a staff hitting her from the side, knocking her away. "How..."

"Your fight is with me," Pluto said.

"Fine then, I'll kill you first!"

Dragon Mercury was, probably, the only one who had seen what happened clearly. Esmeraude had run straight at Pluto, but the Time Senshi had vanished, reappearing right behind her and hitting the woman's arms, legs and neck with her staff in a split second. "No way..."

Moon saw Esmeraude kneel on the ground and gasped. "Huh? What happened?"

"She used the Alphard?" Dragon Venus guessed.

Esmeraude was shocked. She couldn't move her arms or legs, and she couldn't speak. What kind of magic was this?

Pluto frowned. "I hope you realize your situation. You're completely defenseless, and any of the Senshi could kill you if you remain here. The effect will be gone in an hour, but until then, I suggest you consider a tactical retreat."

"That was awesome," Dragon Sun said as Esmeraude teleported away. "But why didn't you just use the full attack?"

"It's not my fate to kill her. She will eventually be defeated if she continues down her current path, but that was neither here nor now."

"Okay, so now what?"

"Now you begin your journey," Pluto said, then turned to Warwitch. "They will be back soon, but until then, I trust you can keep an eye on this era."

"I'll do my best," Warwitch said.

"I know," Pluto noted, then everyone vanished.

Warwitch sighed. "She's a weird one." She then saw a white Mooncat rushing to her, and smiled. "Hey, you're late."

"Not accidentally," Artemis said. "A certain lady in green told us she was taking the Senshi for a trip."

"So, why are you here?"

"Unfortunately, some enemies won't wait until they're back. Luna and Shade were going to warn the others, but I think we'll need all of you there for this. Come with me."

"So what is that foe?" Warwitch asked as she run after the cat.

"Something the Senshi fought before, something we thought would stay dead."

* * *

**A/N:** Pluto knows Kung-Fu. Be afraid. Be very afraid. Or not, since she hardly ever fights.

What will the 'sidekicks' face? You'll find out soon enough.


	38. Out of time

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 38: Out of time.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 16, 2013_

* * *

"You gotta be kidding me."

Circe nodded. "That thing again..."

Warwitch came running to them. "Hey, what's that?"

"The Omega."

Warwitch cringed. "You mean, the cyborg that copies the Senshi's powers?"

Mira smirked. "As expected of the Senshi's number one fan."

"What is it waiting for, though?"

"The Senshi, most likely," Calisto noted.

"Too bad, they're gone for a trip to futureland," Warwitch noted.

"They _what_?" Circe shouted.

Luna sighed. "Girls, there's no time to explain right now, you have to defeat this creature."

"But it's just standing there, doing nothing."

"If its creator realizes the Senshi aren't coming, it just might order it to start burning things down in order to call them out," Artemis said.

Shade came rushing to them. "Okay, that was pointless."

"Where are the twins?"

Shade shook her head. "They said they need time to recover their mana."

"I see, it's just us four against a dumb robot," Circe said. "Sounds like fun."

"I want to see how strong that thing's defense is," Warwitch noted. "So here goes nothing. Monsoon!"

A strong gust of wind hit the creature, knocking it back several meters. It stared at the four, as if it only noticed them after the attack. "You are not Senshi. Leave or I will kill you all."

"I don't think you'll be able to, robbie," Mira snapped. "Neptune's Wake."

A column of water rose from underneath the creature, knocking it up in the air. However, it stopped its flight as small jets of flames came out of its feet. "Commencing elimination of secondary targets."

"Hey, that thing thinks he's Ironman," Calisto joked, then saw something appear in the robot's arms. Tonfa? "Those are just like Mercury's-"

"Ice Geiser."

Mira cringed as Calisto was sent flying up by the attack. "It has their Twilight level attacks as well?"

Circe caught Calisto before she hit the ground, and saw she wasn't in a good shape. "Girls, take care of that thing for me. Heal Wave."

Warwitch frowned. "Twilight level attacks are too strong for us."

Mira frowned. "I'm not giving up, and neither should you. What would Usagi think?"

Warwitch smiled. "I was just stating the facts. So, what's the plan?"

"The plan is... Screw planning." Mira reached her hand out, and a blade appeared, but it was made entirely of fire. She charged at the cyborg, which had just landed, and smiled coldly at it. "No tin can will hurt my friends and live to tell the tale. Demon Sword!"

Warwitch stood up after the explosion. Fortunately, civilians had left the surrounding buildings, because the blast had wrecked at least one of them. Mira was out cold near the place where she had called upon her magic, and the creature was- "No way, still alive?"

"Damage levels critical. Returning to base for repairs."

Warwitch glared at the creature. "Oh no, you won't. Fire _Storm!_"

Circe was almost done healing Calisto, but she almost forgot what she was doing as Warwitch attacked. At first only a small flame appeared right underneath the cyborg, but the flame grew until it blurred it completely. As the large flame shrunk, Circe saw there were only a few small, charred bits of armor left of the creature. "Wow..."

"She's got quite a lot of power."

Circe looked down at Calisto, and saw she was awake. "Maria..."

Mira woke up and saw Warwitch standing close to her. She then noticed the small crater close to her, and, as she looked to the side, she smiled. "Good, she's okay."

Warwitch followed Mira's line of sight, and saw Circe and Calisto were locked in a kiss. "Heh. I'm kind of jealous."

Circe noticed them and broke the kiss. "I was just trying to revive her," she joked.

Mira shook her head at that, then looked back at the place where the cyborg had been. "Uh, did I do that?"

"You did a lot of the damage, but Warwitch here... She used a fire attack which was just as strong as the Demon Sword."

Mira's eyes widened, and she smiled at Warwitch. "Impressive. You would be a good Demon Hunter, Hokuge."

"I'll stay a free agent for the time being," Warwitch said, "and call me Yuki, all my friends do."

"That was most entertaining."

Circe looked at the man standing on top of a car's roof. "You could have helped."

"I could," Hakko said, "but I wanted to see what Aries' daughter and her friends could do. And I must admit the fangirl isn't bad."

"Hey, who are you calling a fangirl?" Warwitch snapped.

"Do not pick a fight with someone you cannot defeat," Hakko warned.

"Likewise. Fire blast."

Hakko looked at the fire attack dismissively, then sidestepped, swinging his arms around and sending the fire ball back to Warwitch, who was too surprised to dodge. The man, however didn't mock her or taunt her. "Your magic is impressive, but you shouldn't underestimate your enemy."

"Hey, come back here, old man!" Warwitch shouted as the man started walking away.

"Sorry, I don't like fighting against those I know I will easily defeat. You could come and train with the Senshi, perhaps that way you will someday be an actual warrior."

"What a jerk," Warwitch muttered as the man left.

Mira shook her head. "I know Hakko. He wouldn't waste a second telling you all that unless he saw potential in you."

"Potential?"

"He's a bit random at times, so you'll have to go ask him about it."

"Yeah, I'll do that next time I see him."

* * *

"Are we there yet?"

Mercury sighed. "You asked that ten minutes ago, Usagi. Besides, you should probably ask if we're 'then' yet."

Moon looked at her surroundings. The 'time tunnel' as Saturn had called it was an actual tunnel, but its walls changed color constantly. "Well, sorry for asking, but this place's making me feel dizzy."

"You get used to it after a millenia," Pluto mused. "In any case, here we are."

Dragon Mercury looked at the large, stone doors they were walking to. "A time gate? I thought it would be a portal."

"What we're in is an area outside of time, but to get to where you're going, you need to go through this door and pick the right path through the threads of time."

"Abandon all hope those who walk through this door," Dragon Mercury said, causing a few of her friends to stare at him in confusion. Mercury and Dragon Venus, however, both chuckled at the reference.

Pluto wasn't quite amused. "Trust me, that phrase could be applied to this, if you went through without knowing your way around the area beyond."

"You almost sound like you're not coming with us," Saturn noted.

"I'm not, I must guard the gates, make sure no Dark Moon soldier can get through while you're not in your era. But you already have a very good guide with you. She knows where to go."

Moon stared at Pluto for a minute, then looked at ChibiUsa. "You don't mean..."

"Yes, she knows the way. If you follow her, you will be there before you know it."

The door opened, and everyone could see the tunnel continued seemingly for miles beyond it. "Okay, here goes nothing," Moon said.

ChibiUsa walked past her. "Follow me."

"A final warning," Pluto said as the gate started to close, "don't lag behind, and don't think about exploring on your own. If you don't know your way out of there, you could be lost in there for a _very _long time."

"Good to know," Mars said as the door closed. She then saw ChibiUsa was looking at a section of the wall. "Hey, why did you stop?"

"Because we have to go through here," ChibiUsa said, and walked right into the wall.

Moon blinked in shock. "Hey, what-"

ChibiUsa's head popped out of the wall and she stared at the others. "Puu told you to follow me, didn't she?"

Moon tried to touch the wall, and saw her arm go through it. "Strange."

Saturn nodded. "I had never been in this side of the gate before, but Pluto warned me about it. The path is actually a maze, leading to many different eras, but it's too easy to get lost in here."

As they walked through the 'wall' they saw they were, somehow, in a corridor of their school. "Wait, what the heck?"

ChibiUsa smiled at Jupiter's reaction. "Pluto said there's places from all over the timelines in this maze. Makes it harder to know where to go."

Mercury nodded as they started walking. "I know what you mean... It's just the same piece of corridor repeating itself for miles."

"And the doors are fake," Dragon venus added after trying to open one.

Dragon Earth looked at ChibiUsa. "If you're our daughter, and we've lived for a thousand years, then... How old are you, really?"

"I'm six. I was born on june thirty of the year two thousands, nine hundred and seventy eight."

"Exactly one thousand years after Usagi's birthday," Mercury commented. "Strange."

"So, are we far from our goal?"

ChibiUsa smiled. "No, just a few more miles," she said, then walked through a door, without bothering to open it, and vanished.

Again, the Senshi followed her, and saw they were now in the Hikawa Shrine, but the temple to their right seemed to extend for miles to both sides. "This is weird," Mars commented.

"And I can't get a reading on our surroundings," Mercury said, "If I were to trust my visor, I would say what we're seeing simply doesn't exist."

"Maybe because your visor wasn't built to sense whatever the area around us is made of," Dragon Mercury guessed.

* * *

Yukiko had decided to walk home, but she noticed a woman was following her after just a few minutes of walking, and tried to lose her by heading for a crowded area. The woman wasn't easy to fool, however, so Yukiko found a deserted street and waited.

The woman wasn't too surprised to see her 'prey' waiting for her. "I guessed you knew you were being followed, Hokuge."

"Who exactly are you?"

"Name's Saiko Rakurai, I work for general Kino-"

"Oh, I see. And why would you be following a completely normal and harmless civilian?" Yukiko asked.

"Good one, Hokuge. Or may I call you Warwitch?"

"Guilty as charged," Yukiko said.

"As for why I was following you, I was close to your battle, and managed to catch most of it from a safe distance. My boss wants to know exactly what you are, since you're obviously not a Senshi."

"Wish I knew," Yukiko said. "I'm not one of those Demon Hunters, nor a youma, just a human girl who can use magic and wants to use it to protect the innocent."

"I suppose if I could shoot elementals around, I would use them for the same thing," Saiko admitted.

"If that's all you wanted to know..."

"As a matter of fact, yes. Kino just doesn't like unknowns roaming around the city."

"I can understand that. Anyhow, I was heading home, so I guess I'll see you around. Phase."

Rakurai blinked as Warwitch vanished. "She can teleport, Tomoe's guess was right."

* * *

Mercury was quite impressed by the scenery. They had gone through a street of Tokyo, then their base (but just like with the fake shrine, it appeared to be infinitely large,) and they were, right now, walking on the Moon, with the full Earth up in the sky.

"A small step for a Senshi..." Dragon Sun commented.

"Amazing, we bear witness to the first clown on the Moon," Saturn said in her usual monotone.

"So deadly honest, that's why I like you."

Moon was walking ahead of the others, right besides ChibiUsa. "Did you know who we were from the start?"

The small girl shook her head. "I knew you were Sailor Moon, and I knew who the rest of the Senshi were, but I didn't know you were my mom's past self at first."

"Any older siblings?" Dragon Mercury asked.

"No."

Venus frowned. "Wait, you mean Usagi and Mamoru waited for a thousand years to have a child? Why would they?"

"Maybe because they knew their first child was born a thousand years after our era," Mercury guessed.

Dragon Mercury chuckled. "Nice time loop."

"What do you mean?" Moon asked.

"I used to read sci-fi in my free time, when I was a kid," the Dragon explained, "and things like time loops were rather common in those stories. A sort of circle's created in the timelines, making it impossible to know where, or when, it begins. In fact it may seem like it never quite begun."

"The egg and the chicken," Dragon Venus mused.

"I think I get it," Moon said, "but I'd rather not think about it, it's giving me a headache."

"Yeah, that's the usual result," Dragon Mercury joked.

Mercury suddenly looked forwards. "My visor's sensing something ahead. It's heading this way."

Said 'something' only took a few seconds to reach them, and they saw it was Esmeraude. "It's not easy to find you, pests. Good thing Pluto's back to hiding."

"Not easy to find us? Even a small girl would know her way around this place."

Esmeraude glared at Dragon Mercury. "It doesn't matter, because I'm going to kill you all!" The woman shot a wide energy wave with her fan, but then spun around, shooting a second one, then a third. By the fourth wave, only Moon and Dragon Earth were left standing.

"And that's why I hate fan girls," Dragon Mercury said.

Moon looked down at ChibiUsa. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, but... You-"

"I'm fine, I won't let her hurt you."

"Moon, wait!"

"ChibiUsa, I'll protect you. I wouldn't forgive myself if I didn't."

Esmeraude laughed at her. "You can't protect anyone, brat."

"Twilight... Beam!"

Esmeraude used her fan to deflect the blast. "Pitiful, is this the stongest Senshi? Hard to believe you're Serenity's past self."

"Enough!"

Moon looked at Dragon Earth, and saw his sword was shining. Did that mean he was going to...

"Earth Twilight Power!"

Esmeraude shrugged as the Dragon was surrounded by a rocky wall. "Big deal, one Twilight Senshi, or a thousand of them, I'll still-"

"Stop bluffing," Mercury snapped. "Your energy isn't infinite, you used a lot of it to deflect Moon's attack."

"Then I'll just have to kill the Rabbit before he's done."

This time, Esmeraude's attack was a focused blast, and it shot straight to Moon, who was still protecting ChibiUsa. However, someone else took the hit, and Moon gasped as she saw Saturn kneeling on the ground.

"Hotaru, why-"

"I heal faster than any of you," Saturn said, "and I didn't have enough energy left to attack her, so... I won't let her hurt either of you."

Dragon Earth was, by now, done upgrading. His suit looked mostly the same as before, but it now had shoulder and knee pads. "Begone, freak. Earth..." He reached his sword up, and then sliced the air with it in one swift motion. "Stone..." Several small stones appeared floating where the sword had 'cut' the air, and they swiftly broke apart, forming a swarm of tiny, sharp-looking rock shards. "... Stab!" As he completed his attack, the shards all flew at Esmeraude, who managed to block a few with her fan, but was sent staggering back.

The evil woman, however, saw the Dragon kneel down, and laughed. "Useless, you kids cannot win this without Pluto. Now stand still while I-"

"Leave them alone!"

Mercury's mind raced to make sense of what she had just seen. ChibiUsa had run forwards, leaping at Esmeraude head-first, and knocked her right into a wall. The small girl leapt back before the woman could recover, and glared at her. True, a small girl shouldn't be that strong, but Mercury could see ChibiUsa had, for a moment, become just as strong as a first level Senshi, or even higher than that. "Amazing..."

Esmeraude staggered up. "You damn brat, I should have killed you while-"

Moon had heard enough of that woman by now. "You'll kill none of my friends. Moon Double Flight!"

Dragon Sun's eyes widened as Esmeraude was sent flying back by the twin discs, and vanished while in mid-flight. "Did she kill her?"

Mercury shook her head. "No, but she put all of her remaining mana into those discs. That made them stronger than her Twilight level attack. I suppose Esmeraude realized she should not stay and see if Moon could do it again."

"What I don't understand is, how did Chibi knock Esmeraude away?"

"She has a bit of latent, raw magic power," Mercury noted, "something I couldn't explain before, but now I know it's because she could, someday, become a Senshi. As for how she did that... I'm not sure, but her power increased greatly."

Dragon Mercury smiled. "She may be small, but she's got the potential to be a great warrior, just like her mother."

ChibiUsa walked up to a wall and smiled. "Okay, we're almost there. One more place to visit, and we'll be in Crystal Tokyo."

"Why 'Crystal'?" Venus asked.

"Why tell you, when you'll see it for yourself in a few minutes?" ChibiUsa said.

* * *

**A/N:** Yeah, I had the sidekicks win a fight on their own. Always a first time for everything.

As in Cyber Moon, the 'time tunnel' was based on the maze-like one from the old Sailor Moon: Another Story RPG.


	39. Future visions

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 39: Future visions.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 17, 2013_

* * *

Haruna walked in and noticed something. Several of her students were not there yet. "Okay, Tsukino, I could almost understand, but Osaka, Chiba, Zephyr, Kino..."

Umino nodded, "Naru's caught the flu, I think she may have passed it on the others, as they're always hanging together after school."

Yukiko looked at Umino. Haruna had apparently bought the lie, but she didn't know why Umino would lie in the first place... And the way he'd said it, it was almost as if he knew- No, he was surely just being his usual weird self.

* * *

"Welcome to Crystal Tokyo."

The Senshi looked around. The city was built entirely of what seemed to be transluscent crystal. However, most of the buildings were wrecked, in fact the large palace in the distance was the only building which seemed to be in perfect shape. It was, some of them guessed, most likely due to the nearly invisible energy field surrounding it.

"If I were to guess, I would say we live in that place," Venus said, pointing at the palace.

"Yep."

Dragon Sun shrugged. "No wonder everything's wrecked, that's what they get for building things out of glass."

ChibiUsa glared at him for a second, then smiled. "You're right, it's just plain glass. I bet you could break one of those walls just by punching it."

The Dragon walked to one of the half-demolished buildings and snorted. "Looks just like glass."

Mercury had her visor down, and suddenly flinched. "Wait, I don't think you should-"

The Dragon didn't mind her, and he punched the wall with all his might. He stood there, with his arm outstretched, for a few seconds before yelping in pain and clutching his hand. "What the _hell?_"

ChibiUsa giggled. "Magical crystal, reinforced to resist even a Senshi's attacks. At least that's what I heard my era's Mercury say once."

"So this is Tokyo, but made out of crystal," Jupiter said. "What happened to the old Tokyo?"

"We are in the exact same area where Tokyo should be," Mercury explained, "so I guess it somehow transformed into this."

ChibiUsa noticed many of the Senshi were looking at her. "I don't know when or how it happened. I thought the city had always been like this, so I didn't ask."

"You said you needed the Ginzuishou to help your mother," Moon said, "where is she- Am I... Uh..."

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of them. "If you want to know, you should follow me to the palace."

Moon stared at the figure, then at Dragon Earth. "Wait, what's going on here?"

Dragon Earth could only agree with Moon. The figure looked just like him, but he could also see the city behind him, as if the man was a ghost. "I suppose that's a hologram, and that's how I'll look in a thousand years."

ChibiUsa smiled. "Dad, you're okay!"

The man smiled sadly. "Relatively okay. This is just an image created through magic, my real body's inside the palace. I'm King Endymion of Crystal Tokyo, and if you all follow me, I'll show you things I know you need to see, and tell you what you need to know."

"... Because you heard it from yourself before," Mercury guessed.

"I knew you would guess that. It's something to be expected of the smartest person in Crystal Tokyo," the man said.

* * *

Esmeraude walked in and saw Dimando waiting for her, along with someone else. Wiseman. The prince trusted that hooded creep, but Esmeraude wasn't quite sure about him. "What's the matter, Dimando?"

"The Senshi have arrived, they're heading for the palace right now. You must go there and face them."

"Alone?"

Wiseman's eyes flashed red under his hood. "I can give you the power to defeat the Senshi. I imagine the Prince will be very grateful to you after you remove that obstacle from his path to victory."

Esmeraude smiled. "I would be a fool not to accept such a thing."

"Excellent," Wiseman said, then his eyes flashed red once more. Esmeraude's body was surrounded by a dark aura, and she screamed in pain.

"Wiseman, what-"

"Wait!" Esmeraude shouted, interrupting Dimando. "I'll resist. Don't stop."

It took only a minute, and Wiseman finally turned around and walked away. "It is done."

Dimando looked at Esmeraude, who was kneeling on the ground. "Are you okay?"

Esmeraude stood up, smiling, and Dimando noticed her eyes were black instead of their usual green. "Never been better."

* * *

Back in the present Tokyo, Yukiko had decided to follow Umino after school, and wasn't surprised when she saw him walk into Crown. As she walked into the building, however, she saw the guy was waiting for her. "Uh... Hi Gurio, fancy meeting you here."

"You've been following me for ten minutes," Umino said.

"No, I was just heading here, just like you."

"Oh, well, I've seen you in here a few times, so I guess that makes sense. Why would you be following me, anyhow?"

"Maybe I thought you were one of the Senshi," Yukiko joked.

"Sure... Because I'm the hero type. Who else do you think could be a Senshi? Usagi?"

Yukiko laughed at that. "Yeah, no way either of you can be..."

"Still, I think I'll go check on Naru later."

_Much_ later, Yukiko thought. She hadn't considered that, she didn't know when they would be back, and if too many civilians started wondering, then that would complicate things. Or not, she corrected as she saw Usagi and Naru walk in. There was something strange about Usagi, though.

"Oh, there you are, Umino."

"Why did you guys miss school?" Umino asked.

"I hired them to be my maids," Terry joked as he also walked in.

"I see... It's fine if you don't want to tell me," Umino said and walked to the door.

"Wait, Umino," Naru said and walked to him. "I'll tell you on the way home, as long as you promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay."

Yukiko watched the two leave and frowned. "Is she going to tell them about..."

Terry smiled. "If anyone asks, we were all captured by those evil aliens the Senshi are currently fighting against."

Yukiko nodded. "Got it. But what really happened, guys? Why is Usagi so... Not herself?"

Usagi sighed. "I'll tell you, but let's go to the base. The others are there already."

* * *

The palace was as impressive inside as it looked from the outside. Every corridor they walked through was at least a dozen meters tall, and wide enough to fit a few trucks standing side by side. "This is the second largest buiding I've seen," Dragon Sun commented.

"Unless my visor's not working right, the whole place's made out of crystalized mana," Mercury noted, "the buildings outside, too."

Dragon Venus stared at Mercury for a second before shaking his head. "Damn, that's just too much."

"What do you mean?"

"Mom can create a sword of crystalized mana, but it takes her too long to summon it, and it needs a massive quantity of mana, so she's never actually used it in a battle. And here you're telling me someone, I would guess that's Usagi's future self, somehow crystalized enough mana to build a full-scale _city_?"

Endymion didn't seem to be paying attention to them, but he suddenly stopped in front of a large door. "Here we are." He then went through the door without waiting for an answer. Moon walked to the door and opened it, then gasped and walked into the room.

"That's... Me."

Earth looked around the room. In one side of the room, there was what seemed like an examination table, with scanners and other artifacts she knew nothing about around it. The man lying on the table was, in a way, her brother. "What exactly happened to you?"

The image stared at his own body, then to the side. "The Nemesians attacked us."

Usagi looked at the large crystal floating in the other side of the room. It was quite incredible, but the woman inside that crystal looked like her. No, it was her, a thousand years into the future. "How did I end up like that?"

"They said they wanted to discuss the terms of a diplomatic treaty, but it was a trap."

"... Nemesians?" Nemesis asked.

Mercury nodded at that. "They all have the same symbol in their foreheads, the inverted, black crescent moon. The symbol of Nemesis."

"I thought there were no humans outside Earth?" Dragon Mercury asked.

Endymion nodded. "Nemesis is too far from the Sun, it had always been a dark, unwelcoming world. Most Nemesians died when the Nemesian wells were capped, and those who survived were thrown back to a stone age level of civilization. They managed to rebuild their civilization through many centuries, and their astronomers always looked at Earth in awe, but their leaders saw it under a different light. Earth was a warm, welcoming world, while Nemesis had been turned into a hostile, dark place."

"So that's what they're trying to do, take over the Earth?" Dragon Mercury asked. "Why not attack the States-" he paused and frowned. "Wait, the political map of the world must have changed in a thousand years."

"It did," Endymion admitted, "and while Crystal Tokyo is a small kingdom, as far as magic power goes, we're the strongest nation on Earth. Nemesians knew that, so they realized they needed to deal with us if they wanted to have an easier campaign."

"... So, they're attacking the rest of the world now? Where are we through all this?"

"During the first attack of the Nemesians, the Ginzuishou vanished due to... Strange circumstances," Endymion said, looking at ChibiUsa for a second. "With the Queen injured and me unable to move, the shield around the city went down. The five strongest Senshi had to use their own magic to form a new shield, but their magic is comparatively weaker than that of Serenity, so the shield- Well, you saw it out there. We were able to move most civilians out of the way before the real attack started, but I know dozens of lives were lost."

A 'screen' appeared in mid-air, showing Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus and Nemesis all sitting around a strange machine. They seemed older, but not older than thirty. Mars looked up. "If we're stuck in there, then I suppose the rest of the group's fighting the Nemesians?"

"Yes." The screen flickered and the image changed, showing a battlefield with dozens of spaceships like Rubeus' one floating over a city. The ships were suddenly hit by assorted magical attacks, and most of them were blown to ashes within seconds. The image zoomed in to show a small group of Senshi shooting at the ships.

Dragon Mercury recognized himself and Earth, but the two or three other Senshi were unknown. "I guess we had time for things other than fighting during the last thousand years, so... Those other Senshi should either be Senshi we haven't found yet back home, or our children."

"Both are correct," Endymion said, "but I can't tell you more than that."

Mercury was staring at Serenity. "It's amazing. From a distace, I couldn't detect it, but her power is- I don't know how to put this into words."

"I suppose she must be a bit stronger, after a thousand years," Earth admitted.

"A bit?" Mercury shook her head. "Going by the numbers I get, she's at least ten thousand times stronger than our Sailor Moon."

Dragon Mercury flinched at that. "How did that saying go, power corrupts, infinite power-"

Endymion stared at him, but there was no hostility in his eyes. "This is Usagi Tsukino you're talking about. Even _back then_, you should know she wouldn't be a good evil overlord."

"I know," Dragon Mercury said. "What I'm wondering right now is, are those Dark Moon freaks the strongest Nemesians?"

"Yes, but the ones you fought so far are the weakest within their ranks. Prince Dimando, Prince Saffir and the Wiseman are far stronger."

"Why are they wasting time chasing after ChibiUsa?"

"Because Wiseman fears the Ginzuishou. Dimando is the leader, but Wiseman is his strategist, and the prince follows his advice. They knew if the Princess managed to bring you here, then you could be a threat to their plans."

"There's something you're not telling us," Saturn noted. "How exactly did the Ginzuishou vanish?"

Endymion looked at ChibiUsa, who looked down at her own feet. "When she saw us both being carried back to the palace, she tried to help. She wanted to help her mother, and she knew the Ginzuishou would listen to her, as she was the Princess. But for some reason, the crystal vanished as soon as she touched it, and we haven't been able to sense its energy ever since."

"It vanished?" Moon asked. "How-"

"I... I just wanted to help mom... But because of me, everyone-"

Mars saw ChibiUsa run out of the room, and sighed. "Must be hard on her."

"She's been keeping all her grief inside," Endymion said. "Wish I could-"

"I'll bring her back," Moon said, and left without waiting for an answer.

"Huh, her maternal instincts woke up?" Mars mused.

"Not amusing," Mercury noted. She then looked to the side. "Oh shit."

"What's wrong?" Jupiter asking, aware that if Mercury was cursing, it had to be something very bad.

"There's a strong entity heading this way. It's Esmeraude, but her power's much higher than before."

"She can't break through the shield, can she?"

Endymion shook his head. "Not unless she shoots at it for hours."

Earth smiled. "Why wait for hours when we can go kick her rear right now?"

"Great minds think alike, right?" Jupiter mused.

* * *

ChibiUsa had been running for a while, but she finally stopped and looked around. She was outside the shield, and for a moment she considered going back in. No, she couldn't go back. The Senshi knew what she had done, they would be mad at her. She couldn't blame them, she was mad at herself for being so naive. "Because of me..."

"... They're still fighting this war."

She froze and turned around. There was a man there, a man in a hooded robe. She couldn't see his face, but she still took a step back.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Princess. You want to fix what you've done, don't you? I can help you with that. Together, we can make your friends see just how special you are, I can give you the power to make things right again."

For some reason, the man's words soothed her, and the girl wasn't staring at him in fear anymore. "I... I want to fix this, I want to end this war."

"ChibiUsa!"

The girl didn't hear the shout, she just reached her hand out to the man. "Please, help me fix what I did wrong."

Wiseman reached forwards, holding her hand, although his robe covered his own hand. "As you wish, Princess."

Moon leapt down from the third floor, but realized she was too late as the figure vanished, taking ChibiUsa with it. She walked to where the two had been standing and knew things had just gone very wrong. "ChibiUsa, no..."

"I don't really know what Wiseman wants with that kid, but I'll worry about it later."

Moon turned around and saw a man with white hair and eyes staring at her. "Who are you?"

"I'm Prince Dimando, leader of the Black Moon Family. And you're my trophy." Moon didn't have time to realize what that meant before the man zapped her with dark energy, knocking her out. He caught her before she hit the ground and smiled. "Soon, you'll become my Queen," he said before they also vanished.

* * *

As they reached their target, the Senshi saw something was quite wrong. "She's got a dark aura," Dragon Sun commented, "that can't be good."

"You kids came to die? Good, that saves me the trouble of shooting through that shield and searching for you."

Dragon Mercury frowned. "Overconfident, aren't you?"

"Just die!" Esmeraude snapped and swung her fan, releasing an energy blast. The Senshi were expecting this, so they all leapt aside, but Esmeraude just kept swinging her fan, unleashing several blasts in a row. The Senshi were all knocked down, but they stood back up fast.

"Seriously, that's all she has?" Mars asked.

"It was just a test, next time I'll shoot to kill."

Dragon Earth glared at the woman, but then looked to the side. "No... Something's happened to Usagi."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know, I just know she's in trouble."

"Go help her," Earth said, "we'll take care of She-Hulk."

Dragon Mercury chuckled at that, and smiled as Dragon Earth rushed away. "It's a pity having to beat down someone so hot."

"I agree, but don't mind if I do just that," Earth admitted.

Esmeraude laughed. "Foolish kids, you can all attack me at once, and you will still lose."

* * *

Yukiko had been listening to the others as they told her what had happened during their trip to Crystal Tokyo, along with the three Huntresses, and the Mooncats. "So, what happened after that?"

Rei sighed. "We fought Esmeraude while Mamoru was rescuing Usagi, but Esmeraude was stronger than we thought."

Emi looked at Usagi. "Hey, is everything okay?" She realized something, and felt like slapping herself for not noticing before. "Wait, did ChibiUsa..."

"Just listen to the story," Usagi said with a frown.

"_Rabbit_, stop it," Terry said, "blaming yourself or others won't help."

Usagi sighed. "I know, I just..."

"Let us finish our story, and we'll answer any question you may have which isn't answered by it," Hotaru said.

* * *

**A/N:** The Dark Moon Family goons have always been my least favorite SM villains. Potential rapists and child murderers? Takeuchi sure knew how to make her villains 'likeable.'


	40. White, green and pink

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 40: White, green and pink.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 21, 2013_

* * *

Dragon Earth looked at the building. Several things made it stand out against the surrounding buildings. First off, it was the only building left unscratched in the area. Second, it was made of a black crystal, unlike the transluscent, white crystals of the city's building. And third, he could sense Usagi was there. He didn't know why or how he knew it, only that it wasn't just his imagination.

He could see a light coming from the topmost floor. But how to get up there? He suddenly smiled. He could use one of his tricks, but in a different way. "Stone Stab!" The small stone slabs didn't break up into many pieces, instead he shot them at the building, and they dug into its wall, creating a makeshift stairway. "Stone Stab!" Yes, this would work, a few more shots and he would be able to reach his goal.

* * *

Moon woke up with a start. She looked around as memories of what had happened before she fainted came back to her. She saw she was in a strange room, its walls were black, as was the bed she was sitting on. She had no time to worry about that, though, she had to leave this place, and search for- She saw the door open, and a man walked in. "You..."

"A hateful face doesn't suit your beauty, Serenity," Dimando said as he walked to her.

Moon took a step back. "Don't come any closer!"

Dimando smiled. "I will soon be the king of the Earth, and as such, I will need a queen."

Moon understood what he meant, and her glare turned darker. "You're insane, I will never-"

"Yes, you will," Dimando said as his eyes shone for a brief moment. He saw Moon had stopped backing away, and walked close to her. "Your future self is too powerful, but you... You're perfect."

Moon's eyes looked empty and lifeless for a second, but then she sighed. "Mamoru..."

The prince was confused as Moon's eyes returned to normal "What... How can you resist?"

"I won't give up. Let me go, or I'll-"

"You'll do nothing," Dimando snapped, his eyes shining once more. He smiled as Moon once stood still, and he leaned in to kiss her.

"Mamoru..." Moon whispered, and her eyes returned to normal. She pushed Dimando away and glared at him. "What are you trying to do? You may control my mind, but you'll never have my heart."

Dimando's smile turned into a scowl. "We'll see about that, Serenity."

"No means no, how can you be a prince and not know that?"

The Prince turned to the side and saw Dragon Earth standing close to the window. "How did you..."

"This girl can be naive, lazy and selfish at times, but she's still the best thing that's happened to me. I won't let you hurt her."

"Begone!" Dimando snapped, shooting a large energy blast at his foe.

Dragon Earth swung his sword, which absorbed the blast, and rushed forwards, not letting Dimando figure out what had happened. He slashed at the prince, who barely managed to leap back, but the energy gathered in the sword was released as it hit the ground, knocking the prince back and into a wall.

Dimando stood up, glaring at the Dragon. "You... How dare you interfere with-"

"Twilight Beam!"

Dragon Earth blinked in surprise as Dimando was knocked through the wall by the energy beam, and fell to the ground, knocked out. "Usagi?"

Moon shrugged. "Let's go before he wakes up." She summoned her airboard and looked at the Dragon. "ChibiUsa was taken by the enemy, we need to-" She stopped and flinched, she had sensed her comm's emergency signal in her mind. "... But I don't know where they took her, maybe Ami will know."

The Dragon nodded and leapt on the board. "I need to get one of these."

Moon smiled, then stared at him. "Don't get any funny ideas."

"After I saw you beat Dimando up? I'll be a gentleman," the Dragon joked.

* * *

Dragon Mercury stood up from the ground and glared at the woman. Thus far, this battle had been rather painful, Esmeraude just dodged or blocked everything they shot at her and knocked them around without even trying. Perhaps she was lousy at melee, just like the Ayakashi, but she hadn't let them confirm that theory.

Still, he wasn't giving up yet. Perhaps a different strategy would work. "You're not bad, girl. And you may be evil, but you look damn good."

Esmeraude looked at him. "Stop staring."

"Make me."

"Okay!" Esmeraude shot a couple blasts straight at the Dragon, but his airboard got in the way, blocking them. Before Esmeraude could figure out what he planned, he had already run past the board and left a shallow cut on her side. "Ugh... Damn it, I'm going to kill you for that."

The Dragon saw his friends struggling to get up. He just needed to keep this woman focused in him for a while and- No, he could beat her on his own. Perhaps not with his current power, but that was, he realized, about to be fixed. "I have only three words to say to you, Esmeraude."

"Oh really, and what may them be?"

"Mercury Twilight Power!"

Esmeraude smirked as her wound healed itself. Wiseman's upgrade sure had been a blessing, and she would use it to win. She knew the other Senshi were struggling to stand up, but she could also sense their energy. None of them meant any trouble as long as she didn't let them get close. She would kill this baffoon, and then the rest of the Senshi would fall.

The Dragon's transformation ended, and his suit was, as expected, just like Dragon Earth's one, only blue. "Ready to lose?"

Esmeraude decided to humor the brat. She was sure she could block anything he threw at her with her fan. "Not really. Give me your best shot."

"Okay," the Dragon said, then reached out his hand. A small ball of ice appeared, and he pulled his arm back, as if to throw it. "Mercury... Icycle..." The ice ball grew small spikes, and the Dragon smiled as he threw it at Esmeraude, before completing his attack phrase. "... Bomb!"

Esmeraude noticed the ball wasn't aimed at her. It hissed past her, and got stuck on the shield surrounding the palace. "Oh, that's amusing. You missed."

"Never saw a fragmentation grenade before, moron?" Dragon Mercury snapped, a second before the ice ball exploded, sending countless ice shards flying in all directions. Many of the shards hit Esmeraude's back, and she was sent staggering forwards. "I would never hit a lady," the Dragon said before punching Esmeraude straight in the face, knocking her on her back. "Fortunately, you're not one."

Esmeraude stood up faster than expected, snarling at the Dragon before shooting a massive energy wave at him. Mercury saw him fly back and bounce on the ground, and glared at Esmeraude. "Hotaru, can you heal him?"

Saturn nodded. "Yes."

"Good," Mercury said as her weapons appeared and she rushed forwards.

Esmeraude tried to send a blast at Mercury, but the ice Senshi leapt over it, falling on top of her with both her knees, and sending her crashing to the ground. Mercury leapt back as Esmeraude tried to hit her with her fan, and used one of her tonfa's ice blades to rip it in half.

"Damn! That was a gift from Dimando, how dare y-"

"I think Terry's a bad influence for her," Jupiter noted as they watched Mercury use Esmeraude as a punching bag.

Esmeraude was down on her knees, but noticed Mercury wasn't attacking anymore. "What... Why did you stop?"

"I'm no murderer. You have no weapons and you're quite beaten up, so I'll give you a chance to leave."

"I would rather die fighting than go back to Dimando after losing to a bunch of brats," Esmeraude snapped. "Emerald Rage!"

Dragon Mercury woke up in time to see his girlfriend get knocked away by a large wave of green energy. "Damn it, I'm going to-" He tried to stand up, but couldn't quite make it."

"Sorry, you're still quite beaten up," Saturn said.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her."

Dragon Mercury didn't need to turn to know whose voice that was. "She's all yours, _Rabbit_."

Esmeraude glared at Moon. "You... I thought Dimando would take care of you."

"He couldn't stop me from coming to help my friends," Moon said. "Are you really going to fight us to the death? I would rather not have to kill you."

The woman growled at that. "I don't need your pity! Emerald Rage!"

"Twilight Beam."

Mars flinched as Moon's beam knocked Esmeraude into the palace's shield. The woman vanished before she fell to the ground. "Finally, she's-" She noticed Moon staring at the palace, and saw there was something strange about her eyes. "Usagi, what's wrong?"

"They got her. They got ChibiUsa. I was meters away from her, and I couldn't-"

"Shit, that's bad," Saturn said, for once letting shock creep into her face.

"She could be dead already," Moon said.

"Don't worry, Small Lady is okay. They won't hurt her, because Wiseman knows you're the real threat."

Moon noticed Pluto was there. "Wiseman? That's the freak who took her, right?"

"The Dark Moon Family will change their tactics. They will try to change the past, they believe if you don't exist, then their army will be able to take over the Earth easily."

"If all those sci-fi authors I read are right, they're foolish to try."

"The true enemy isn't the Dark Moon Family, but the Wiseman. They would have never thought about going back in time if not for him."

Moon looked at Pluto. "Isn't he a member of their clan?"

"Only in title. If you defeat him, you will win this war. But he's the one who has Small Lady."

"Then we must go back to our time," Moon said.

* * *

"... And Pluto brought us back to this era." Usagi said. She had told her friends about what had happened in the future (would happen?) but she still wasn't quite back to her old self.

"It's hard to believe that kid can be your daughter," Aki said, "but then again, the impossible seems to happen a lot around the Senshi."

Ami smiled at that. "That may be because what most would call impossible, is actually just highly improbable."

"I felt a strange connection with her, ever since I started protecting her," Usagi admitted. "I guess somewhere in my mind I already knew who she was."

"Can you really trust Pluto's words, though?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes, you can," Hotaru said.

"But-"

"She may hide details from us, details we're not supposed to know until we do," Hotaru admitted, "but I know her better than most of you. She may be good at hiding her feelings, but I know she was worried sick about ChibiUsa. I don't think she would have let Wiseman lay a hand on her if he was going to kill her."

"So you're telling me it's okay because it's how things are meant to go?" Usagi asked. "Sorry, but I can't be okay with that. She must be scared, crying... I feel like going to wherever those bastards are hiding right now and-"

"But we don't know where they're hiding."

Usagi looked at Ami. "Can you search for them?"

"Already set the computer to scan the city thoroughly. If anyone from the Dark Moon shows up, we'll know."

Usagi said and stood up to leave. "Fine, just give me a call if it finds them, I'll go search for them myself."

"Usagi, don't try to shoulder this on your own," Naru said.

"That computer will find them," Rei said, "so what's the point in going out there and-"

Usagi sighed. "This may sound weird coming from me, but I can't just sit around doing nothing."

Rei watched her go and smiled. "She'll find them."

"How could she?"

Rei looked at Emi. "I thought you would have noticed. We Senshi have a knack for being at the wrong place at the right time. Or at the right place at the wrong time, depending on your point of view."

"Must be just a coinci-" Maria started, then shook her head. "Yeah, guess you're right."

* * *

The room was rather crowded, as the Dark Moon Family had gathered to discuss their strategy. Prince Saffir, second in power only to Dimando, had been leading the battle in Europe, but the news of Esmeraude's death had reached him, and he had decided to share his thoughts on the war with his brother. It was a war they would not win, the one they were fighting against the Senshi. A month of it, and they had already lost fifty percent of their fleet, and if he trusted the reports, then the Senshi had suffered little casualties, or no casualties at all.

Wiseman looked at Dimando after the room fell silent. "I must admit I didn't think the Senshi would defeat Esmeraude. We've already lost two valuable soldiers-"

"Not just soldiers," Dimando said, "but family. I will crush the Senshi myself if I have to."

"_All _of them?" Wiseman asked.

Dimando answered without any doubt showing in his voice. "All of them."

"Good. I have a new strategy, one which will lead us to victory."

"Heard that before," Dimando noted.

"Of course. But see, the shield around the palace is the only thing stopping us from destroying Crystal Tokyo for good. It is, even for me, an unbreachable barrier."

Saffir"So what is it you're saying?"

"That we must attack the shield at its weakest point."

"It has no weak points," Dimando said, "Opal and Onyx both-"

"That's because they can only scan the present."

"You mean it was weaker at some point in time?"

"Yes and no. The shield itself was always as strong as it is now, stronger still as Serenity's full power is beyond that of all of her Senshi combined. However, there's a way to weaken it, in the time before the city became what it is now. I've seen five points of the city, five areas which, if corrupted, will weaken the shield, they could even cause the shield to vanish for good."

Dimando stared at the man for a moment before turning to the others. "Ayakashi, this will be a chance for you to correct your mistakes."

"The Senshi may overpower you," Wiseman said, "but not after I give you a part of my power. Unfortunately, your potential is not as high as Esmeraude's, but there's four of you."

"So one of them could go to each point-"

Wiseman interrupted Saffir. "No. we don't need to rush. The Ayakashi will go to one point, and the other one will be corrupted by our newest soldier."

"New soldier? What do you mean?" Cooan asked.

"Come forth, my child," Wiseman said.

Dimando saw a figure appear next to Wiseman. A tall woman, with pink hair which brushed the ground, tied up in a way which seemed strangely familiar to him. She was wearing a long, sleeveless black dress, the top half of it covered by a red fishnet. "Who is that?"

"That's Black Lady. She will attack one of the points on her own."

"Huh? That newbie going to take on half the Senshi?" Beruche asked.

Black Lady let her power flare, and the Ayakashi all took a step back. "New does not equal weak," she said.

Dimando was staring at the woman. "I find it hard to believe, but I think I know who she is."

"Yes," Wiseman said, "she has the potential to become a very strong soldier. Stronger than even you and I. And when Serenity's younger self sees her, she may lose her will to fight, for she is too kind to hurt her own daughter."

Petz' eyes widened. "You mean this woman is-"

"She used to be known as Princess Serenity of Crystal Tokyo, but now she's our ally."

Black Lady knelt in front of Dimando. "I will bring victory to our world, the Dark Moon, Nemesis."

Dimando couldn't help but smile. It would be rather ironic to have Serenity's younger self killed by her future daughter. And even though Dimando had felt something for Serenity before (love? Lust? Was there a difference?) he could not feel the same way after she had killed Rubeus and Esmeraude. No, he would enjoy this, he would enjoy her suffering.

And, ultimately, he would become the ruler of the Earth. That was a much bigger prize than Serenity could ever be.

* * *

**A/N:** Silly Dimando, you don't mess with Dragon Earth's girl, period. In part because he'll kick your ass, and also because the girl herself will kick your _everything else. _Same could be said about the two Mercuries.

Opal was a "one chapter" original character in Cyber Moon. I felt it strange that none of the Dark Moon goons mentioned her in the Dark Moon arc of my fic (I had planned adding Dark Moon OCs, but not their names, while writing the Dark Moon arc of Cyber Moon) so this time I'll at least hint at her being around, along with another 'General' of the Dark Moon I left out of the story in Cyber Moon.


	41. Black Lady

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 41: Black Lady.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 23, 2013_

* * *

Luna was walking with no destination in mind, as she was lost in thought. Usagi had told her what she had gone through, and it had surprised her. True, the old Senshi from Silver Millenium had lived for long, but only the Senshi of legend had lived for as long (or longer) than what Usagi would apparently live.

Was it, perhaps, that Usagi was one of them? Months ago, if asked the same question, Luna would have laughed it off, but she had seen enough of Usagi to know she had the potential to be stronger than her past self's mother. Stronger than any Senshi Luna had seen. Possibly stronger than the First Serenity, or even Galaxia.

Usagi would never cease to amaze her, Luna thought. And as she walked by a familiar building, she once again realized how true that phrase was. "Usagi, what are you doing here?"

The girl smiled at her, then looked at the building she had been staring at. Her school. "Strange for me to be here, when I usually hate the place, right?"

"Uh, not what I meant."

"I'm searching for those Dark Moon freaks."

"Wouldn't it be easier to scan the city-"

"Ami's already doing that, but I can't just sit around while she is..."

Luna nodded as the blonde fell silent. "When I first met you, I didn't think highly of you, Usagi, but you're always eager to protect those you care about. It's natural that you would want to protect your daughter as well."

"And yet I couldn't protect her when it counted."

"She's alive, you'll get her back."

"I want to believe that, but-"

Luna flinched and turned to stare at the building. "I don't know how you did it, Usagi, but they're here."

"Good. Whoever it is, I'll beat them around until they tell me where she is."

"Usagi, wait for the ohers."

"I can handle this, Luna. I knocked their boss out, and I killed two of them."

Luna leapt on Usagi's shoulder and stared at her. "I know you're worried, but you're also being overconfident. Please, you could hurt yourself, or worse."

"I'll be fine," Usagi said dismissively.

"Are you stupid?" Luna asked, losing her temper for a second. "Listen, you know any of us can die. You were there when Emi died. You saw Mamoru die. Did neither of those events affect you?"

Usagi glared at the cat for a second, but then shook her head. She could hear Naru's words again, and Naru had been right back then. "Damn it... Sorry, Luna, I know you're right. I was trying to solve this alone, to stop anyone else from being hurt, but... I'm not that strong."

"Admitting that you need help isn't weakness," Luna noted.

Usagi smiled at that, then summoned her communicator. Mercury's face appeared in it. "Ami?"

"Usagi, I'm sure you know it by now, but there's an unknown enemy at the school. I'm sending most of the team there-"

"Most of them?"

"This is worse than we thought," Mercury said, "the four Ayakashi are at Crown right now, and their combined power is slightly above that of Esmeraude. But... The one close to you, that creature's power is even higher."

"Maybe it's Dimando," Usagi said. "Ami, send half the team to each place."

"But-"

"Just make sure you guys beat the Ayakashi, so you can come help us if we need it."

"... Are you okay?"

"Not really," Usagi admitted, "but we'll get her back, together. Right?"

Mercury smiled. "Right. Help will be there in a minute. Literally."

Usagi used that minute to get ready. By the time the others arrived, she was already in her Senshi form, and had summoned both her board and weapons. "Guess they won't let us rest."

Jupiter nodded. "Let's just punch whoever it is around until they-"

Mira looked around. "What's that... There's some sort of energy spreading around us."

Luna had felt the energy. "Whatever it is, it's evil."

"You guys hear that?" Warwitch asked.

The Senshi looked to the side, and could see people arguing, throwing things at each other, and smashing cars and anything else they found lying around. "What's up with them?" Moon asked. True, they needed to take care of the enemy, but civilians were behaving quite strangely.

Mira closed her eyes for a second and flinched. "Damn... It's the energy we sensed. It's causing people's dark emotions to become stronger. Hatred, rage, envy-"

Warwitch frowned. "Why aren't we affected?"

"Maybe it can't affect magicians, or maybe it takes time to. We shouldn't risk it, let's take care of our enemy, they must surely be behind this."

Moon nodded. "Let's go."

* * *

The rest of the Senshi and their allies were near Crown, and were seeing a similar scene. "Crap, this is just bad. There's people in there, what if they attack us?"

Earth shrugged at Mars. "We defend ourselves."

"But we could kill them accidentally," Saturn noted. "There must be a way to drag those women out without-"

Calisto smiled. "We don't need to, we just need to make sure civilians won't disturb us." She looked at Circe. "I guess it's time to run out of power before the fight even starts, _again._"

Circe sighed. "Right. Morpheus' Cloud."

Mercury was scanning the building, and was quite surprised at what she sensed as a thick fog started coming out of it. "She just put all civilians inside to sleep."

"And now," Calisto said, "Wisp Blink."

"Spell fusion, Wisp Portal."

Mercury looked at the other Senshi. "... And they teleported all civilians elsewhere."

"They're safe," Calisto said, "we left them right outside the closest hospital."

"You girls learn fast," Dragon Sun admitted, then saw them kneeling on the ground. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Circe said, "just out of juice."

"You helped a lot," Mercury noted, "so we'll take care of the rest."

The four Ayakashi came walking out of Crown and glared at the group. "You brats again?"

"I was about to ask the same thing to you," Saturn admitted.

"We're much stronger than last time, and we'll make you pay for Rubeus and Esmeraude's deaths!"

"We gave both of them a chance to leave, but they didn't take it."

Beruche glared at Mercury. "You think you can use ice magic, Mercury, but let me show you how it's done. Dark Winter!"

A barrage of snow and ice shot from all directions, hitting the Senshi. "Damn it, they keep upgrading," Mars muttered.

"And if you thought that's bad, wait until you feel the heat," Cooan said. "Dark Inferno!"

This time, a thick column of fire rose from the ground, catching most of the Senshi within. The two Dragons were knocked out, and Saturn, Earth and Mercury were cringing in pain as the attack passed. "We have to attack before-"

"Dark Voltage."

"Dark Horror."

A wave of electricity came next, along with many blasts of darkness from Petz' whip. When it all passed, only Earth and Mercury were standing. "I won't lose, I promised Usagi I would help her," Mercury said. "Snow Spr-" She staggered back and flinched. "No..."

Earth frowned. These women were strong, yes, but if she could get close... No, with her power, one more blast would knock her out. She looked at Mercury, struggling to stand up, and sighed. "I haven't helped as much as I should since I became a Senshi, but I can correct that."

Beruche laughed. "You? What can a weakling like you do? That pathetic dust attack of yours won't help."

"I know. But what about... Earth Twilight Power!"

"Big deal!" Cooan snapped. "Dark Flare!"

Earth started running as soon as her transformation ended. She leapt to the side to dodged Cooan's blast, and then pounced on her, delivering several blows to her chest before sending her flying back with a kick. She then noticed the other three were about to attack, and smiled.

"Dark Ice!"

"Dark Lightning!"

Again, she dodged, noticing the two were standing close to each other. She rushed in before they could try anything else, her arms stretched out to the sides, and grabbed them both by the neck, tossing them at Petz. The end result were three very confused Ayakashi, but Earth wasn't done yet. "Earth..." She rose her leg, energy gathering around it. "Stone..." as she brought her leg down, it seemingly turned into stone. "... Shatter!"

The kick was meant for Petz, but it was strong enough to create a small crater, and the shockwave knocked the other two Ayakashi away. Petz tried to stand up but could only cough blood. "Damn you... We're stronger than you, how-"

"Your magic attacks are strong, but you have no skill when it comes to close combat," Earth noted. "Now leave before-"

"No, we must protect the dark crystal..."

Mercury had done much more than just staring at Earth's fight. She had scanned the building, and found a small, black crystal inside. After scanning it, she knew exactly what it was, and how it worked. Still, she heard Petz's words as she walked out of Crown, and walked to her with a smile. "You mean this thing?" She crushed the crystal with her hand, her smile turning into a glare. "Last chance to leave."

"... We'll kill you all for this," Petz said before the four Ayakashi vanished.

Earth looked at Mercury. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. By the way, that was quite impressive."

"Just as I told them, it's just because they have no melee skills at all."

Mercury looked around. Circe and Calisto were still recovering, and the others were starting to wake up. "We need to go help Usagi, if we had this much trouble with the Ayakashi..."

Earth suddenly reached her hand out, her communicator appearing in it. As it lit up, Moon's face could be seen. "Hey, you guys okay?"

"We've managed to drive the enemy away," Moon said, "but now I really want to find their bosses."

"Why? Who was that enemy?"

Moon sighed. "Come to the base."

* * *

Minutes earlier, the other group had found their enemy. Unlike the Ayakashi, this enemy didn't wait for the Senshi to come looking for it, or rather, her.

Moon looked at the woman. Her hair was pink, and her hairdo was just like... "No, it can't be..."

Venus saw Moon's shocked face and frowned. "What's wrong, Usagi?"

Dragon Earth was also staring at the woman in shock. "Those bastards, they are really heartless."

Venus was, admittedly, not as smart as Ami, but she could still figure out who this was. It seemed impossible, but she had seen her share of impossibles happen. "You mean that woman is... ChibiUsa?"

"ChibiUsa, what did they do to you?"

The woman stared blankly at Moon. "Who is ChibiUsa? I am Black Lady, Wiseman's strongest soldier."

"Come on, kid, get out of the way," Dragon Venus said. "We don't want to hurt you."

"Fortunately, I don't have such handicap," Black Lady said, shooting a wave of dark energy at them. The Senshi dodged, but she still smiled. "That was just a test."

"Damn it, I don't want to fight her, but..."

Mira nodded. "We may have to fight her to stop the dark energy."

Warwitch looked around. "Hmm... Interesting. Guys, keep her busy for a minute. Phase."

"What's she up to?"

Black Lady laughed. "It doesn't matter. You will never defeat me, Senshi."

"We can try," Jupiter said and rushed forwards. "Electric Tackle!"

Her foe didn't move, taking the hit and the electricity, and used Jupiter's own momentum to send her flying through a wall. "Fool, you should think with your brain, not your fist."

"Mako!" Moon glared at Black Lady. "I don't want to fight you, but... I can't watch you hurt my friends, either." She tossed both her weapons at the woman, who caught them, but that had been Moon's plan. "Twilight Beam!"

Dragon Earth saw Black Lady take the hit, only staggering back slightly. "She's strong."

Black Lady was about to return the favor, but then looked back and cursed. "The dark crystal... Damn you, Senshi!"

Moon got ready for whatever Black Lady would do next, but then gasped as she simply vanished. "Huh? why did she leave?"

Warwitch appeared right next to her. "Because I broke her little toy." She showed the others several crystal shards. "I have no idea what this was, but breaking it stopped the flow of dark energy. We should ask Mercury about it."

Moon nodded and summoned her communicator. She had to tell the others about the crystal, and about Black Lady.

* * *

"Brother, did you want to see me?"

Saffir nodded. "It's about Wiseman."

"I'm listening."

"Brother, I've had a bad feeling about this war, lately. Wiseman's plans... Are you sure he's loyal to us?"

"He's helped us rise to power, he let us unify Nemesis, and he says he's doing it all for the glory of Nemesis. I've never been given a reason to doubt his words."

Saffir knew the look Dimando was giving him. It meant his brother wasn't completely sure of his own words. "Still... That Black Lady woman, she's dangerous. Haven't you sensed her power?"

Dimando nodded. "I have. She's stronger than Wiseman himself. Stronger than me. And her loyalty lies with him. She may be the key to understanding Wiseman's true intentions."

"I hope it's not too late," Saffir said, "If Wiseman has been using us all along..."

"I will make him regret it. For us, for Esmeraude and for Rubeus."

* * *

Hotaru looked at Usagi. Much despite herself, she had grown to like the other Senshi, and Usagi felt, to her, like a close friend. To see her like this was... It made it hard to keep her usual neutral face. "So they're using that girl to fight their battles now? Cowards."

Ami nodded. "I agree. We need to find a way to turn her back to normal, however, if the Wiseman did it, we may have to defeat him to bring her back."

"And he must be stronger than her."

"That's not the main issue," Ami said, looking at Rei, "he will surely use her as a shield."

"I don't want to hurt her, but..." Usagi sighed. "Damn it, I don't know what to do. I don't want her to harm any of you, guys, but she's..."

"We know," Terry said. "We could really use Pluto's help right now."

Hotaru nodded. "Yes, but she's a guardian, not a warrior. She will only fight when she must."

"Then I'm sorry, Hotaru, but I don't think we need her at all."

Hotaru looked at Minako. "She keeps invaders from other times and places at bay. Think of her like the Demon Hunters. Do you think we would be here if they hadn't kept the Earth in one piece since the days of Silver Millenium?"

"Uhm, guess you're right," Minako said. "Wait, you said 'other places?'"

"Threats from other dimensions," Hotaru noted, "and I'm already saying too much."

Ami looked at the screen, where an image of one of the crystals was shown. "About those artifacts, they seem to work as a battery and a generator."

"I hope that doesn't mean what I think it means," Terry noted.

"I guess it does," Ami admitted, "they generate a small quantity of dark mana, which corrupts the feelings of any living being around it, turning them hostile. It then feeds on these feelings, generating a larger wave of dark mana, which in turn corrupts more beings..."

"A domino effect," Mamoru said. "So if those crystals were left unchecked, what would happen?"

"A single crystal would be able to corrupt the whole city, eventually."

"So why did they have two of them?"

"They could be trying to keep one intact, knowing we would split to fight them... Or there could be something else."

"Here's the plan," Rei said, "next time the Ayakashi show up, we beat them until they tell us what their plan is."

"Sounds fun," Karin admitted. "They're hopeless when it comes to melee combat, so we should just run them over."

"And speaking of combat," Terry said, several small, black cubes appearing in his hands. "Here. Got some more of these done. These are for Rei, Mako, Minako and Naru."

"Hey, what about me?"

He looked at Karin. "Sorry, the rest will be finished soon."

Rei had seen Usagi's weapons, like the others, so she knew what these were. "So I just think about what shape I want and-" she stopped as the cube turned into a red bow. "Nice."

Mako was holding a metal maul. "This is going to be fun."

Terry was, however, looking at Minako. "... A whip?"

"I like whips," Minako said, then rapidly added. "As weapons."

Naru's weapon of choice was a black spear, Terry noticed. "These weapons are for those who have no weapon, so obviously, me, Mamoru, Hotaru, Brad..."

"Usagi technically has two weapons," Hotaru mused, "so why can't we?"

"You know, I didn't think you had a sense of humor, back when I first met you," Terry admitted.

"And I didn't think you had a brain. Guess we could call it even."

Terry laughed at that, then walked to the center of the room. "Okay, I know Rei can use a bow, but I'm not sure the rest of you should just go out without some basic knowledge of your weapons and how to use them."

"Is that a challenge?" Mako asked.

"Hakko told me he would be back to train us tomorrow, so I'll make sure you know which end of that thing you should hit your foes with by the time he gets here."

Mako swung her maul at him without warning, but Terry managed to roll under her, hitting her back with his elbow as he rose, and sending her crashing to the ground. "Damn, you're fast," Mako muttered.

"So... red, huh?"

Usagi saw Mako was blushing, and frowned. "Huh? What do you mean?"

"I'll start wearing pants for training," Karin commented.

"You pervert, I'm going to have to punish you for that!" Minako said striking a pose.

"... So I'm the pervert, and yet you're the one talking about punishment while holding a whip."

Ami stared at him as Minako blushed. "That's enough teasing."

"Uh, okay," Terry said with a sheepish smile. "Anyhow, Mako, round two?"

"Sure," she said, then looked at Hotaru. "Hey, can you fix broken bones?"

"It takes quite a bit of energy, but yeah," Hotaru said. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason at all, just wanted to be sure of how much I can damage him if he pulls the same trick again."

Terry sighed. "Fine, I know when I'm beaten, and I don't want a pretty girl to be mad at me."

Mako blushed slightly. "Just shut up and fight."

* * *

**A/N:** Finally, my favorite Sailor Moon villain shows up. The Senshi are doomed, mwhahaha- Oh right, they're the good guys. Crap.

Earth's attack will, in this version, be a lot less flowery, and a lot more smash your face in with rocks-y.


	42. Dark crystals

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 42: Dark crystals.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 25, 2013_

* * *

Karin had given the idea a lot of thought, and she couldn't really find a reason not to do it. She had known Chie for her whole life, so keeping a secret... No, two secrets from her felt wrong. "Hey, Chie, I have something to tell you..."

"Go ahead."

Karin knew the look Chie was giving her. It was her way of saying 'I know you're worried about something but won't ask until you're ready to tell me,' but she was ready now. "You're my best friend, and you know I care about you, but... I've been keeping some secrets from you. I feel bad for not telling you this before, but-"

"I promise I won't be mad," Chie said, "so just tell me."

Let's go for the easier one first, Karin thought. "Remember back when the Senshi first showed up, how I thought they were fake?"

"Yeah... See to believe, that's how you are, right?" Chie mused. But what did that have to do with whichever secret Karin was- No, it couldn't be that. Could it?

Karin sighed. "Well, truth is..." she was glad they were at Chie's house, since her parents were not around this early, and thus she could just show instead of telling. "Earth Twilight Power!"

Chie stared at her friend in shock after the transformation ended. "You... Are a Senshi."

"Only found out about it last week."

"My best friend's one of the Senshi. Wow..."

"I thought you would be mad at me for not telling you-"

"If it's anything like manga, then you're supposed to keep your identity a secret. Heck, there's some magical girl who keep it a secret from their boyfriends..."

Earth winced at that. "The other thing I've kept a secret from you is..."

Chie waited for a minute, then sighed. She could guess what the 'secret' was, if only because she had, also, kept the same secret from her friend. "I'm pretty sure I know what you're trying to tell me. And that's because I've also been keeping a secret from you."

"A secret..."

"And even if what you're trying to tell me isn't what I think, I-" she paused and stared at her friend, feeling her cheeks heating up. "I thought it could hurt our friendship, but I can't keep it hidden anymore. You're my best friend, I've known you since forever, but lately I realized that... I had fallen in love with you."

Earth stared at Chie. "You did?"

Chie nodded. "Weird, isn't it, I always chased after boys, but the one I like the most is a-"

"I wasn't sure about telling you my other secret, because I thought you would... Just like you said, I feared it would hurt our friendship. You know, Chie, I may be the strongest in looks, but you were always the bravest. I think we're already more than friends, but... I've fallen for you, too."

They stood there, staring at each other for what seemed like hours, but then Chie grinned slyly. "I must admit you look hot in that suit."

"Ami said they were purposefully built like this. They can be distracting in battle."

"Ami? You mean Mizuno is one of the Senshi?"

"And believe it or not, so is Usagi. And Terry. In fact, I think you know most of them. I was supposed to go to the base today, so, want to tag along?"

"You have a base? Is that where you keep your giant robots?"

Karin chuckled at that. "Yeah, we get that a lot."

* * *

Hotaru saw Karin walk in, along with someone else, and sighed. "We keep this up, and everyone in Tokyo will know about our base."

Usagi noticed Chie was leaning on Karin and smiled. "Heh, I knew it."

"Knew what?" Ami asked, then noticed the same Usagi did. "Oh."

Karin smiled. "I didn't just tell her I was a Senshi, I also told her something else."

"And she told you she felt the same way," Usagi guessed.

"How did you-" Chie started.

"That's a kind of superpower she has," Terry joked. "She can read people easily."

Hakko was looking at Chie. "Interesting. This one has a lot of potential."

"I'm no Senshi," Chie said. "Wait, are you one? You look too old to be one."

Hakko laughed. "I'm simply helping them improve their weaknesses. Mostly the fact most of them had zero training in close range combat before I started beating them up."

"We've improved a bit," Ami said.

Chie was looking around the room. "This base's huge. Must have cost a lot of money to build it."

"Define a lot of money?" Terry joked.

Rei and Minako were, right now, training in a rather strange way. Rei was using her bow to shoot arrows at Minako, and the blonde used her whip to deflect them.

"Minako's improved a lot in the last hour," Hotaru noted as Chie watched them. "I haven't healed her in about ten minutes now."

Chie turned to look at Terry. "Uhm..."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure I should ask this, but..."

"It's weird to see the one who used to chase me around the city be so shy."

Chie sighed. "Yeah, sorry about that. What I wanted to ask is, did you ever catch the one-"

"Yeah, I did. With a bit of help from Ami and Mako."

Ami noticed Chie's confused stare. "The woman who killed his girlfriend was a youma. We... Eventually managed to defeat her."

"But that's in the past," Terry said, "I won't forget Hana, but I won't let what happened control me, either."

Chie blinked at that. "You know, at school you're always quite a..."

"Baffoon," Karin said. "He's different when he's taking things seriously, but don't let his apparent wisdom fool you, he can still be a pervert at times."

"You know, you showed up a bit late today, so as punishment, you'll fight me."

Karin smiled. "Let's do this."

"Here," Terry said and tossed a small, black cube at her.

Karin caught it and nodded. "That was fast, I guess." The cube vanished as a pair of metal claws appeared.

"Guess you're ready for claws combat."

Chie winced at Terry's pun. "That was lame."

"Actually, that was one of the _best _puns I heard him make," Hotaru admitted.

"You and Usagi don't look like warriors, no offense."

"None taken," Hotaru said, "I've been told I'm actually good at melee, but my endurance is low."

Chie turned to watch the fight she was interested in, and noticed Terry was now dodging Karin's claw swipes. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"I can heal them," Hotaru said, "and I don't think Karin's wild swipes will-" she stopped as Terry finally got tired of dodging, ducking under Karin's attack and delivering a rather strong punch to her stomach. Karin was sent crashing down to the ground. "- work against him."

"You just rush forwards and try to hit your target," Terry noted as he helped Karin up. "That might work against someone like the Ayakashi, but there may be enemies out there who know how to dodge."

"So, how do I improve?" Karin asked. she had to admit the guy did seem to know what he was talking about when it came to fighting.

Hakko had been watching them, and decided to answer that himself. "Consider your surroundings, try to measure your foe's weak and strong points, and adapt your battle plan to them."

Terry nodded. "You can win against most foes if you're one step ahead of them. I wasn't just dodging your attacks, I was analyzing their angle, the time it took for you to swipe again after you missed, and the speed of your attacks. I saw you left both your stomach and face unprotected, so I decided to go for one of them."

"Why not the face?" Karin asked. Not that she would have liked to be hit there instead.

"Even though it was a good choice, I'd rather not ruin a pretty girl's face, unless my life depends on it."

"Good thing I'm apparently pretty, then."

Terry was surprised by that. "Apparently?"

"She's always had a complex about her height," Chie noted, "she's too tall so people will find her scary, not cute, that's what she thinks."

"Well, she's not bad to the eye at all," Terry said.

Chie frowned as Terry stared at Karin. "Uh... Stop that."

"Don't worry, he'll look but not touch," Ami said.

Karin smiled at that. "Ami's got him on a leash."

"I wonder how she does it," Hotaru pondered, then stared at Kage.

"I should start running now, right?" Kage asked.

"That would be most wise, yes," Terry joked.

"Alert, enemies detected."

Ami looked at the sceen. "The Ayakashi and Black Lady. They're attacking two more points... Crap."

"What's wrong?"

"Black Lady's above us. Literally. And the Ayakashi are at the shrine."

Crown, the school, the shrine, and their base. Terry stared at the screen and frowned. Perhaps there was a connection between all these targets, but what was it?

"The Ayakashi are a joke," Karin noted.

"They will be ready for you, they'll keep you out of melee range," Terry said. "At least, that's what I would do."

Usagi frowned. "About Black Lady... Guys, we need to get her back to normal."

"But we can't hurt her."

Usagi looked at Minako. "I won't let that Wiseman bastard use her for his plans. Just try not to hurt her much."

Rei sighed. "Wish I could help you with that, Usagi, but..."

"I understand, Rei. Don't let those women wreck your house."

Chie sighed as the Senshi left, some by getting into the elevator, others by teleporting away. "I wish I could help Karin, but..."

"Those monsters can't be beaten by normal humans. And the last thing they need is another target for the enemy."

She looked at Hakko. "I know all that. Still..."

"I said you had potential, but if you're not a Senshi, or even a magician, then you're better off staying away from their battles."

"I would like to be able to keep one of those monsters busy, at least, if they do come after me again."

"I could help you with that, but your girlfriend may not agree."

"I know, and I'll take the risk."

Hakko nodded as Chie grabbed a couple daggers. "Show me what you can do, then I'll know what you need to learn."

* * *

Black Lady was rather surprised to see the Senshi walk out of the very building she had targeted. "You kids again?"

"ChibiUsa, snap out of it already."

"I already told you I don't know who that is," Black Lady snapped. "Are you going to talk, or are you going to fight?"

"Twilight Beam!"

Black Lady summoned the Luna-P, and it turned into an umbrella, which she used to stop the attack. "I was told you were the strongest Senshi. If that's true, then I don't even need to fight you."

There was a noise of shattering crystal, and Jupiter walked past Black Lady, holding her hammer. "And we don't need to fight you either, you don't seem to care about that crystal at all."

"Damn you!" Black Lady shouted and rushed at Jupiter, too fast for anyone to react. A knee to the stomach knocked all the air out of Jupiter's lungs, and the evil woman followed it with a hook which sent her flying up. She smiled as the Luna-P turned into a minigun, and aimed it at Jupiter.

"No!"

Black Lady stared down in shock as her gun was split in half. "How dare you-"

"Twilight Beam!"

The evil woman staggered up, glaring furiously at Moon. "You won't defeat me, I'm Wiseman's strongest soldier, and I won't let anyone-"

"Shut up!" Moon snapped, interrupting her foe's gloating. "You're none of that. You're a kind, small girl who wouldn't stand watching her friends get hurt. I know you can still remember that, ChibiUsa."

Black Lady was glaring at her, but suddenly her face changed. "U- Usagi?"

"ChibiUsa, fight against it."

"I... I can't. But I don't want to hurt any of you. Usagi, please..."

Wiseman appeared right behind Black Lady. "I'm sorry, Serenity, but I cannot lose this soldier yet."

"I suppose that was Wiseman," Earth noted as he and Black Lady vanished.

Moon punched the ground in frustration. "Damn it!"

"Wiseman's control isn't flawless," Dragon Earth said. "Usagi, don't worry, next time I'm sure you'll get her back."

Moon smiled sadly at him. "Yeah..."

Mercury was staring at the spot where Wiseman had been, and her Dragon noticed that. "Ami?"

"This has to be wrong."

"What do you mean?" "Wiseman wasn't _weak _but Black Lady was much stronger than him."

"He's called 'Wiseman' but created a warrior stronger than him?"

"I don't care how strong she is in that form, I can't abandon her," Moon said.

"Right, we'll just need to defeat Wiseman."

Dragon Sun saw Mira appear close to them, and frowned. She looked quite beaten up. "Emi, what the heck-"

"The Ayakashi are much stronger than before, we need help."

Moon nodded. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

The Ayakashi's weak point was close range combat, but they had learnt from their mistake. This time around, they didn't let the Senshi get too close, and after only five minutes, most of their foes were out cold, or too tired to fight. One of the useless mages had apparently run away, but they weren't worried about that. "Sisters, I think it's time to stop playing with them."

Petz nodded. "You're right, Cooan, these weak kids can't defeat us with just magic."

Dragon Venus looked at Venus, who was trying to stand up despite having a line of blood running down her leg. "Weak... We're not weak!"

Dragon Sun noticed Saturn trying to heal herself, and was about to say something, when he noticed Dragon Venus' body was shining. "Heh, I guess he's tired of being run over by those witches... I'm sick of it too."

"Kage, let me heal-"

"No need to, just heal yourself so you can get the others back to fighting shape."

Saturn was about to protest, but saw that his body was also shining. "Right, kick those witches around for us."

Beruche laughed. "Even if you power up... A couple Senshi won't be enough."

"Venus Twilight Power!"

"Sun Twilight Power!"

Dragon Venus nodded at the other Dragon as their transformation finished, then glared at the four evil women. "There's a difference between us and the other Senshi. We're not just Senshi, we were Demon Hunters before."

"Huh? I don't know what you're babbling about, kid," Beruche snapped.

"Okay then, let me show you," Dragon Venus said as his sword lit up.

Dragon Sun grinned. "Oh, you know how to do that, too?"

"Yeah... Perhaps if we fuse them we can pull the bigger one."

Calisto had, along with Circe and Mira, tried to help the Senshi, but the three of them had been knocked around way too fast. Still, she was watching the battle, and cringed as she heard that. "Guys, I hope you're not talking about the Demon Sword."

Venus heard that and cringed. "Brad, don't do it, last time you-"

"Last time I was much weaker. Don't worry."

Saturn was confused. "What are you-"

"Why tell you, when you're about to see it for yourself..."

Karaberas saw both Dragons' swords light up with a red flame. "Eh, that can't be good."

"I doubt they'll be able to beat us," Beruche said. "Let's humor them."

Dragon Venus chuckled. "Bad choice. Demon Sword!"

"Demon Sword!"

As the two dragons run to the Ayakashi, the sisters started shooting attacks at them, but the two used their swords to deflect them. "Time's up, girls," Dragon Sun snapped.

And then they both brought their swords down, as the flames around them turned black. "Spell Fusion, Demon Sword, Chaos Edge!"

Petz wasn't sure what had happened, but looking around the area, she realized the explosion was rather large. Her sisters were all out cold, and she felt like taking a nap, too. "Damn it... How can these brats be... That strong..."

As the women vanished, Venus picked herself up from the ground and limped to where Dragon Venus was. The guy was kneeling on the ground, visibly exhausted. "Damn it, Brad, good thing we chased them away from Rei's shrine."

"Sorry," the Dragon said. "I had only seen this attack once, didn't remember the blast range."

Saturn was checking on Dragon Sun, who was apparently out cold. "Damn it..." She put a hand on his chest, and it lit up for a second, but then the light vanished. "No..."

Right then, Moon's group appeared near them. They immediately noticed the wrecked buildings, and their friends didn't look a lot better than the buildings around them. "What the heck happened here?"

"A bit of that's the Ayakashi's fault," Mars explained, "but the two Dragons pulled something amazing to defeat them."

Saturn was still trying to heal Dragon Sun, and cried out in frustration. "Running out of energy, at a time like this..."

Circe staggered up. "We can't heal him, eiter, but maybe we can-"

Dragon Venus stood up. "A mana link. I'll do it."

"Trying that after the Demon Sword-" Circe warned.

"I know, but it's my fault, I thought about it first."

Venus flinched. "Brad, no, you're exhausted, you-."

"We'll do it," Mira said, "the three of us can handle it."

"I'm not-"

"We're not asking for your permission," Calisto noted.

"You have nothing to prove, Sigma, you already beat down four foes much stronger than you."

Dragon Venus smiled. "Been a while since someone called me that... Okay, go for it."

Saturn frowned. "Whatever you're going to do, do it fast. He won't last much longer."

Mira closed her eyes, along with Circe and Calisto. "Mana Link."

Mercury looked around as the area around them started shining. "This is... They're draining mana from all around them, even us," she realized she didn't need to say this, as even Moon was aware of the energy being drained.

Mira put a hand on Saturn's shoulder and smiled. "Try again."

Saturn nodded and her hand lit up. "Amazing."

Dragon Sun's eyes opened, and he smiled at Saturn. "You always end up healing me... Sorry."

"Don't say sorry, I'm impressed. You two really gave those girls a beating."

Mira sighed. "Sorry for leaving the battle, but I... Thought I could bring help."

"Leaving to bring reinforcements? That's nothing to be ashamed of, Emi," Dragon Sun said. "Even if reinforcements weren't needed."

"Weren't needed?" Venus sighed. "If you had just waited for five minutes, you wouldn't have wrecked Rei's area, and yourselves."

"Let them be, boys need to show off," Jupiter said.

Moon sighed. "It's good that everyone's okay... Still..."

Venus looked at Moon. "No luck getting her back?"

"Wiseman showed up before we could bring her back."

"Crap, did he fight you?"

"No. He was weaker than Black Lady. Perhaps weaker than the Ayakashi fighting together," Mercury explained.

"... How can he create something stronger than him?"

Mira shrugged. "Our healing isn't as strong as Saturn's, by far, and yet you saw how we just helped her."

Dragon Venus yawned. "Okay guys, I'm tired, so I'm going home." He looked at Venus. "Want a ride?"

"Sure!"

As the two vanished, Earth looked around. "This battle was a mess. And we didn't even get to use our new weapons."

"Don't bring a sword to an energy beam fight," Dragon Earth said.

Dragon Sun smiled at that. "You sure? I did, and I won."

"That doesn't count, you tag-teamed them," Saturn pointed.

Moon rose an eyebrow. "Wonder if we could..."

"What?"

"No, nothing," Moon said. She wasn't sure about telling the others, but the idea was still floating around her mind. Perhaps Senshi could combine their attacks like the Demon Hunters did? No, it was a silly idea... Or was it?

* * *

**A/N:** That first scene was the one which took the most to write for this chapter. I just know I suck at romance. At least I suck a lot less than I did when I started writing.

As for the two Dragons, I know they don't use the skills from their 'other job' a lot, but that doesn't mean they can't pull stunts like the ones they pulled in this chapter.

Moon's hinting at combined Senshi attacks means absolutely nothing, I swear. /Blatant lies.


	43. Heartless

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 43: Heartless.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 25, 2013_

* * *

"Wiseman!"

The cloaked figure appeared next to the prince. "Did you summon me, Dimando?"

"I want to ask you something. What are you planning to do with the 'dark points' you spoke of? The crystals were destroyed, yet you don't seem to be worried about it."

"That is because the damage to those points is already done. Four of them are corrupted, and the fifth one will soon follow."

Dimando glared at the man. "I will not help you with that."

"Why wouldn't you, if the Senshi are weakened, then your clan will-"

"Saffir's theory is that if something in this era changes, then the future will change too."

"It will change for good, Prince. Trust me."

Dimando started walking away from the man. "I've seen your true colors, Wiseman. I will ask you to leave my castle at once, before I force you out myself."

"I understand. I should have foreseen this, you're a smart young man after all. I will leave your base, but this means our alliance is over. If you interfere with my plans, then I'll treat you as my enemy."

"If you try to disrupt the past, I'll treat you as my enemy."

Wiseman vanished, reappearing in Black Lady's room. "We must leave at once. Dimando has betrayed us."

"I could deal with him."

"I doubt you could, and I need that last point corrupted if I am to reach my full power."

"Then I will corrupt the last point for you."

Wiseman nodded. "If the Senshi try to stop you, kill them. Same goes for any of the Dark Moon fools."

"As you command," Black Lady said, and vanished.

Wiseman smiled. Dimando's threats meant nothing to him, as his goal was close at hand.

* * *

"Chie, what the heck are you doing?"

Hakko turned to see the Senshi were back, and Earth seemed quite upset. "As I thought..."

"I asked him to teach me," Chie said. "I want to be able to beat down monsters if they come after me."

"But you're not a Senshi, you-"

"So what? Should I just screech and wait for the mighty Senshi to rescue me? Sorry, but you should know I never played the damsel role right, Karin," Chie snapped. The adrenaline rush from the short (yet tough) training session was now gone, and she fell to her knees. "Crap, I'm too tired for this."

"If civilians could kick those monsters' butts, it would make our job much easier," Dragon Mercury mused. That earned him a glare from Earth.

"So, you think I wouldn't protect you?"

Chie shook her head. "It's not that, it's..."

"She wants to help us, and yet knows she can't."

Chie nodded at Saturn. "That about sums it up."

"For what it's worth, I'll say that she's got the potential to become a very good warrior," Hakko noted.

"Hmph. Okay, whatever, do as you please."

Chie cringed as Earth turned to leave. "Karin, you were always like this. I like that part of you, but it also hurts..."

Earth stopped and turned back. "What do you mean?"

"Always protecting me, always taking the blows for me. Do you think I'm fine with that? Do you think I'm happy to see you get hurt defending me? I want to be able to defend myself, so you don't have to get hurt again."

Earth looked down. "Chie, I never meant to... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Let's go home."

Earth nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow, guys."

* * *

Usagi had decided to stick around even after most of the group left. Terry and Ami were busy with something (she didn't understand quite what they were doing, as usual,) and Mamoru... She could tell he was worried about her.

"This has to be wrong."

She looked at Terry. "What's the matter?"

"Earlier on I felt something strange about the places being attacked," Terry explained, "and apparently, I was right."

"The four points are at the same distance from each other, but the two to the west don't fit that pattern."

The screen was showing a map of Tokyo, with the places where the dark crystals had been clearly marked. Usagi frowned. "That's not quite a square, is it?"

Terry typed a few commands, and a circle appeared, passing through all the points. "It's not a square, because it's missing one last point." As he said that, a new mark appeared in the map. "I heard rumors about that place being cursed, didn't quite believe it," he noted.

Usagi stared at the last mark. "Wait, that's... Your house?"

Terry sighed. "Yeah. Hope we don't have to blow it up."

Mamoru looked at the map and frowned. "Can you calculate the center of that circle?"

Ami looked at the map and understood what Mamoru had guessed almost immediately. "No way..." she typed something, and a mark appeared in the center of the circle. "... The Starlight Tower."

"There could be a sixth attack there?" Usagi asked.

Ami nodded. "It may just be a coincidence."

"But we should stay alert, just in case," Terry noted.

* * *

"This place looks bigger than last time I saw it."

Terry sighed. "Seriously, guys, you don't need to-"

"We do," Ami said, "I won't let them destroy this place."

The Senshi had all decided to guard the Zephyr mansion after school, after Ami and Terry told the others about the 'circle.' "Rei said you have robot maids."

Terry looked at Kage, and chuckled. "You could call them that." He pressed a button in the wall, and a small swarm of tiny, wheeled robots came in from small holes in the walls. They searched for a minute, then returned to their 'hives.'

"So, those things clean the whole mansion?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, when they said robot maids, I thought something like, you know..."

Terry smiled at that. "I know. But I just need them to clean the place, I have enough to stare at already."

Ami shook her head at that. "You guys will mature eventually, right?"

"Anyhow, I guess it's good that you're all gathering here. I was going to give you all something."

"And what is-" Mako started, then saw several floating boards around Terry. "Oh, those things."

"Seriously, you have a lot of free time," Karin mused.

"Free time? What free time? Between studying, our 'job' and Ami, I don't have any free time anymore."

"Where are the Hunters?"

Kage shrugged. "Emi said they weren't happy about their own performance in the last few fights, so they asked for some special training."

"Special training?"

"It mostly involves being shot at by one of the Primes."

"But isn't your mother-"

The guy chuckled. "Mom cares about us, and want us to reach our true potential, which is exaclty why she may be the toughest foe Emi has ever fought."

* * *

"Flame burrow."

Mira frowned. "Be careful, girls."

Calisto and Circe both sensed danger, and leapt to the side right in time to avoid the worm-like fire construct coming out of the ground right underneath them. "You'll never win this if you just defend. Arc Fire!"

Circe was hit by the flames, but smiled. "You're right, Ares. Time to show you what we can do. Pegasi Flight!"

Ares blocked the charge and knocked Circe away with an energy-charged fist. "That's almost good enough."

Calisto smirked. "Then how about this? Prismatic Flare!"

Ares formed a shield out of thin air, stopping the attack, but it still dragged her back a few meters. "Much better. Why is it that you're here? You're already close to the skill of a Prime."

"But the Senshi and their foes are still stronger than us."

Ares shook her head at that. "Emi, we Demon Hunters can't reach the same levels a Senshi can-"

"What about the Demon Sword?"

"Sure, that attack is strong, but it may cause your death. Also, I've heard legends of Senshi strong enough to withstand the strongest form of that attack without even flinching."

"So, are you telling us to give up? To take care of the weak monsters and leave the real threats to Senshi?"

"No, but no Hunter alive can teach you how to keep up with Senshi. Perhaps the great Merlin could, but he's been dead for centuries."

"So we're stuck as wealkings?"

"Most Demon Hunters only learn what others can teach them, but there's few of us who try going further. It's a risky path and one you have to walk on your own."

"So, you won't help us," Mira said, dejectedly.

"It's not 'won't' but 'can't', Emi. Primes don't have anyone to teach them, we must teach ourselves new tricks."

"Primes? But I'm not a-"

"You don't have the title, and you don't _need _it. I can teach you how to be as strong as a third level Senshi, but after that, you're on your own."

"I understand," Mira said, "Teach us what you can, mother, I have the feeling we'll need to be much stronger than we are right now, and soon."

"Good, then I hope you're ready for what's next," Ares said as water, wind, fire and electricity started swirling around her.

* * *

"Incoming," Ami said. "Black Lady's back, she's out in the back yard."

"Crap, let's get her."

The group dashed out of the mansion, transforming while they run, but as they reached the back yard, most of them gasped in shock. "Whoa, what the heck?" Earth exclaimed.

Dragon Mercury frowned. Black Lady had a dark aura around her, and it seemed to be eating away the sunlight around her. "If I were to guess, I would say that's not good."

Mercury flinched. "Three times stronger than Moon. She must be feeding off the crystal."

Moon could hear shouting and things being broken nearby. "ChibiUsa, you need to stop this."

"Again with that? Foolish kid, I will destroy you all."

Moon shook her head. "No, fight me, leave the others-"

"Hey, what the heck are you trying to do, Usagi?" Mars snapped.

"You can't beat her on your own, _Rabbit_," Dragon Mercury said.

"None of you can beat me. Not even if you all attack me together."

"We'll never know until we try!" Jupiter snapped. The Senshi all shot their attacks, but Black Lady summoned her Luna-P, turning it into an umbrella again, and spinning as she held it. The attacks all bounced back, causing a rather large explosion which caught most of the Senshi.

"See, I don't even need to attack you to win," Black Lady boasted, but then noticed something. Where was that Moon brat?

"Double Flight!"

The attack came from above, and Black Lady realized what had happened just as the discs knocked her down. Moon had used the explosion's force to jump up high, and attacked at the highest point of her flight. Still, Black Lady smiled as she clutched the chakrams. "That was impressive, moon girl, but I got your pretty weapons now. What will you do?"

"Easy, get them back," Moon said. She called the chakrams back, and they dragged Black Lady along. Moon punched her in the chest, causing her to fall to one knee, and drop the discs. "Give up, I don't want to hurt you."

Black Lady laughed at that. "Good for you. Now die."

Mars' eyes widened as Moon was wrapped by a column of darkness. They could all hear her screams, and they all rushed in to help. "Damn you!"

Black Lady turned to them and smiled. "Come, all of you, I want a challenge."

Dragon Mercury chuckled. "You're a lousy fighter, no matter how strong you are, if you don't make sure your target's down before moving on to a new one."

"What do-"

"Twilight Beam!"

The beam sent Black Lady flying forwards, and she was greeted by a punch straight in the face. "Ow..."

"That's for wrecking my yard," Dragon Mercury snapped.

Black Lady leapt back and glared at him. "You can't defeat me!"

"But perhaps we can."

The Senshi all looked at the newcomers. The Ayakashi? If they were here to fight too, then things could get _very _tough for them.

Petz looked at the Senshi. "Don't worry, kids, Dimando told us we can't kill you, but since this bitch is working for that Wiseman bastard, then we'll kill her instead."

"No!"

Black Lady looked at Moon. Was she worried about her? Why? No, it didn't matter, it wasn't like those weaklings could defeat her. "Seriously, Dimando is such a coward that he has to send his four lap dogs to face me? Go away before you get hurt."

"Hah! Dark Inferno!"

Black Lady stood through the fire attack, and smirked at Cooan. "This is the part where I scream in pain and die, right?"

Petz frowned. "Sisters, we may have to use that technique."

Beruche smiled. "We were saving it for the Senshi, but since Dimando wants them alive... Let's do it."

Black Lady looked at the Senshi as the Ayakashi concentrated. "Why aren't you kids helping them?"

"You can't sense their power," Mercury said, "but I can. They can defeat you."

"I doubt it."

The four Ayakashi opened their eyes, and the others saw they were pitch black. "We must defeat you, for Dimando's sake, for our world's sake," Petz said.

"You won't defeat anyone, weaklings."

The four women reached out their hands as one, and dark energy swirled around their arms. When they summoned their attack, they also did it at the same time. "Dark Moon Surge."

The wave of dark energy washed over Black Lady, and it also wrecked the area even further. When it ended, the Ayakashi were kneeling on the ground, but Black Lady was also down. "We got her!" Cooan said.

"Damn you..." Black Lady staggered up, her arms dripping blood. "That was a nice try, but not enough!"

"We failed..." Cooan said with a sigh.

Petz looked at Moon. "I know we're enemies, but please, don't let the Wiseman win. Don't-"

Black Lady rushed by, grabbing Petz by the neck and raising her high in the air. "Shut up already."

"The Senshi will... Defeat you."

"Perhaps they will, but that won't save you." Beruche, Cooan and Karaberas all rushed to Black Lady, who smirked. "Foolishly brave to the very end, I can at least respect that. Dark Princess' Flash!"

Darkness covered Black Lady and the Ayakashi, and the Senshi couldn't help but take a step back as they heard the screams. When the attack ended, there was nothing left of the four sisters. "You killed them... Why?"

Black Lady smiled at Moon. "Do you see what you're facing now, kid? You can't defeat me."

Moon was furious. That Wiseman monster, using ChibiUsa to kill those who had once trusted him? No, she couldn't tolerate that, she would get the girl back to normal with her own hands. "Moon Twilight..."

"Again with that?" Black Lady smirked and summoned her umbrella. "It only works if I'm not expecting it."

Moon's chakram were swirling around her now, and she glared at Black Lady. If she could resist this even weakened as she was, then it would really be impossible to defeat her. No, nothing was impossible, as long as you didn't give up. The chakrams stopped in front of her, circling each other and slowly creating a circle of light on their wake. "... Flash!"

Black Lady froze as she saw the light disc shooting at her, unlike Moon's other discs, this one was spinning in its axis, so fast it almost looked like a large ball of light. "No... Way."

Moon flinched as the attack hit, causing an explosion which knocked Black Lady into the mansion's wall. "Damn..."

"She's still alive, but extremely weakened," Mercury explained. "If you want to try bringing her back, now's the time."

Moon nodded before rushing to the pink-haired woman. However, a figure appeared in front of her, and she gasped. "Wiseman... I won't let you get her!"

A blast of darkness knocked Moon back as Wiseman laughed. "Thanks to her, my plans will soon be complete. I only need to borrow her for a little longer. Don't worry, you will all die together in the end."

Moon fell to her knees as Wiseman vanished, taking Black Lady along. "No..."

"What did he mean with 'his plans'?" Venus asked.

Mercury was looking around with her visor, and suddenly looked in the direction the Tokyo Tower should be. "Oh no..."

"What's wrong?"

Mercury summoned her computer and typed rapidly. An image of the tower appeared in its screen, but the whole building was covered by a black crystal. "I think that's part of his plan."

Moon looked at it. "Tell me it just _looks _like a giant Dark Crystal."

"Unfortunately, no," Mercury said, "that thing is corrupting everyone in the city. If we don't stop it fast, then-"

"You're in no condition to fight right now."

Moon saw Pluto was there, and glared at her. "You could have helped us get ChibiUsa back!"

"It wasn't the right time for that yet."

"I'm still not happy about this. I should have brough her back to us, but..."

"You will have another chance, but first you must rest."

"Rest? We can't rest with that crystal around!"

Pluto looked at Mercury. "Last time I didn't tell you one trait of the time gate and the threads of time. See, if I send you there, I can bring you back a second after you leave... Or a century before you left."

"Oh, I get it," Earth said, "we can rest in there for as long as we need, and time won't pass out there."

"That's a way to explain it," Pluto said. "However, this isn't something you can use all the time, continuously entering and leaving that zone may have an adverse effect in time and space in this universe."

"Got it, it's only for this one time," Moon said. "Bring us there, the sooner we recover, the sooner we can go defeat Wiseman."

"I agree," Mars said, "Whatever he's planning, it won't be good for our world."

Pluto smiled but said nothing as they all vanished.

* * *

**A/N:** Not much left of the Dark Moon arc, but that doesn't mean what's left will be boring.

And yes, the Merlin Ares mentions is _that _Merlin. No, not the hippie druid from the horrible Arthur movie, the one from the actual legend.


	44. Death Phantom

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 2: Dark Moon Rising.**

**Episode 44: Death Phantom.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 29, 2013_

* * *

His plan was working better than he had expected, the Dark Spire grew stronger with every passing minute, and his own power grew along with it. Serenity's gamble hadn't paid off, he would soon be back to his real power, and once that happened, he would bring an end to-.

But he was aware he had a visitor. "I see, have you come to witness my victory?"

Dimando glared at him. "We have come to stop you."

"We won't let you do this. We won't let the deaths of our friends become pointless."

"They weren't pointless," Wiseman mused, "each of them helped me further my plans. But you two... I have no part for you to play."

"We will be the ones to defeat you!" Saffir said.

"No, you won't." Wiseman was quite surprised, this wasn't in his plans. He had sent Black Lady to stop the Senshi once again, after giving her a part of the power of the Dark Spire. She would keep them busy, and he would destroy them all without even having to move a finger, once his Dark Spire was fully charged. But these two... Dimando was still stronger than him, and Saffir was not far from his brother's powers.

"You've stopped gloating. Have you finally understood what your fate is?"

Wiseman laughed, it was a humorless, mocking laugh. "Fate? I will show you that fate is a myth, Prince. My soldier is right now ready to fight the Senshi. Each death will further increase the Spire's power. Each death will harm the future they're trying to protect."

"What will happen if you do kill them all?"

"It's quite simple, Prince. Past and future are linked in a way you wouldn't understand, mostly thanks to the one the Queen sent to the past... If the Senshi die in this era, then she won't be sent to the past, you won't follow her here, a lot of things that are, as you mortals say, 'fated' to happen, won't happen. The damage to the threads of time and to space itself will be too massive."

Dimando frowned. Was this man saying that he wanted to destroy the Earth? "So you're saying you'll destroy this world by altering time like that? To what end?"

"This world? Foolish prince, this world is but a small dust speck in the universe. And yet, so much could be decided here... To what end, you ask? It's simple. I shall end it all."

"Why?"

Wiseman frowned. There, his soldier had engaged the Senshi. Even if she didn't kill any of them, she would still keep them busy, and he would, once his power had recovered, finish them all with but a thought. He found it slightly amusing, to be questioned by these bugs. "Why? You mortals need reasons for everything, don't you? Fine then, it's quite simple... I was born to end life itself."

"We won't-"

Wiseman laughed again. "I was quite sure you would try to stop me. However, right now I am as strong as the both of you, and thanks to this Spire, my power will keep growing. What are you going to do, Nemesian Princes?"

"We're going to stop your madness," Dimando snapped as he and his brother both shot at the man.

* * *

Moon was quite surprised. They had spent hours in that place, they had recovered enough to fight, and they had come back to the mansion's yard, just in time to watch themselves leave. "Okay, we're back. Time to go defeat that Wiseman monster..."

"Remember, he's not even a living being," Pluto said, "you must show him no mercy, for he will not hesitate to destroy everything for the sake of his madness."

Moon nodded. Pluto had explained it all to them, about Wiseman's plan. No, Death Phantom, that was his true name. A being whose only purpose was to eliminate all life, and to do that... "Will you help us?"

"Yes and no," Pluto said. "I will not help you fight, but I will be there when you need me."

"That's... Reassuring," Saturn muttered.

"For example, you need to be elsewhere right now, so I'll just send you there. Good luck."

* * *

Black Lady saw the Senshi appear near her and smiled. "Good, I thought you would just cower in fear-"

Moon surprised everyone by rushing straight at Black Lady, kicking her side before she could react. She then used her chakrams to slap both sides of her head, stunning her, and ended with another kick which sent Black Lady down to the ground.

"Holy crap," Jupiter muttered.

"And some of you told me training would be pointless," Dragon Mercury mused. But while Moon's skills hadn't surprised him, her eagerness to kick Black Lady around had.

Moon seemed to notice the way her friends were looking at her. "I won't let her hurt any of you."

"You bitch!" Black Lady shouted as a thin wave of darkness shot around her, knocking Moon away. She then rushed at Moon, punching her down before she could recover. "You only got me because you surprised me, but-"

Moon smiled. "Sorry."

Black Lady rose an eyebrow at that. "For what?"

"For this. Moon Twilight Flash!" Moon stood up as Black Lady was sent crashing into the crystal covering the tower. She slumped to the ground and didn't move. "Oh no..."

"She's still alive," Mercury said. "Weakened, but alive."

Dragon Mercury looked at his watch. "And Wiseman's up there, along with Dimando and Saffir. Guess he's too busy right now."

Moon smiled. "Okay, then it's time to bring-"

"Moon, wait!" Mercury shouted, but the warning was a little too late.

Mars saw Moon fall near them after being hit by a dark beam. "Damn it... She fooled us."

"Stupid kid, I knew she would buy the act," Black Lady said, standing up. "Now as for the rest of-"

"Fire Soul Bird!"

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

"Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

"Crescent Beam Shower!"

"Shadow Core!"

"Grim Wave."

Black Lady was surprised, both at the Senshi using their weak attacks, and at the fact Moon had weakened her enough for these attacks to hurt her. "Why... Why didn't you use your strongest attacks?"

"Because they didn't want to kill you," Moon said, staggering up. "You're important to us, ChibiUsa."

"That name again? I-"

"Remember who you are," Moon said as her crystal lit up. "Wiseman's using you."

"I... But he promised he would help me fix everything!"

Moon smiled and started walking to Black Lady. "I screwed up, I let you be captured by him, I let him turn you into this... But I will not let you stay like this."

"Don't come any closer!"

Moon kept walking, and while Black Lady looked terrified, she was also not backing away. "You know all I'm telling you is true, ChibiUsa. You only wanted to help your mother, it's not your fault the crystal vanished. And I promise you we will find a way to heal your mother."

"We will...?"

Moon's smile didn't falter as she took the woman's hand. "Yes, it's a promise, and I never break my promises."

"Moon... No, mom. Thank you."

Mercury, like most others, covered her eyes as the two were covered by light. As the light faded, ChibiUsa was standing where Black Lady had been. "She did it."

"Usagi, I'm sorry."

Moon picked the small girl up and shook her head. "It's fine. But now we must go and defeat that Wiseman monster."

"He's scared of you."

Moon looked at the girl. "Huh?"

"I still... I still remember some of the things I sensed while I was..." ChibiUsa shivered, but then smiled. "Wiseman, no, the Death Phantom's aware that the Ginzuishou is the only thing which could stop him even if he reaches his full power."

"Don't worry, we will stop him. You stay here-"

"No."

Moon shook her head. "We can't bring you with us. That man could-"

"I must be there. I feel like I'll find a way to help mom if I..."

Moon looked at her friends. "We can't bring her there, right? It'll be dangerous-"

Dragon Mercury smiled. "She's a bit stubborn, like her mother. And hey, she helped us beat Esmeraude back then..."

Saturn nodded. "For some reason, I have to agree with Terry. I feel like she has to be there."

Moon sighed. "Okay, we'll just have to protect her."

Pluto appeared near her. "Unfortunately, Wiseman's already close to full power."

Mercury looked up in shock. "Wait, I sense Moon's power up there, how-"

"That's because I'll break the rules for once," Pluto noted, and smiled as the Senshi vanished. "It's risky, but if the Death Phantom was to fully awaken, then the universe itself would be..." She shook her head. No, it was all happening just as she remembered it. Only one warrior was missing, but she would awaken before the battle ended.

* * *

The Senshi appeared in the rooftop, and saw Dimando and Saffir trading blasts with Wiseman. "So, I suppose we _don't _have to blast those two around anymore."

Saffir heard Jupiter's comment and smiled. "Brother, the Senshi are here."

Wiseman looked at the newcomers and laughed. "I see, so you managed to defeat my soldier. It's too bad, but she was going to die anyhow."

"You creep, we won't let you win!"

"Brave words, little queen," Wiseman said, "but words don't win battles. Die!"

Moon was quite confused. Wiseman had shot a rather large dark wave at them, but some sort of shield had stopped it. "How..."

ChibiUsa smiled, but fell to one knee. "I want to protect you, too."

Moon glared at the man. "Let's show him! Moon Twilight Flash!"

"Mars Flame..." Mars summoned her bow, and a fiery arrow appeared in it. She aimed it at Wiseman and shot, the arrow growing as large as her fire bird as it went. "... Sniper!"

"Mercury Ice Geiser!"

"Jupiter... Thunderclap!" Jupiter swung her hammer in front of her, and several large lightning blasts shot forwards.

"Venus... Crescent..." Venus swung her whip forwards, and a large wave of light shot forth from it. "... Whip!"

"Nemesis..." Nemesis' spear was surrounded by darkness, and she stabbed the air with it, sending a beam of dark energy straight at her foe. "... Dark Shot!"

"Earth... Ground..." Earth leapt up, her claws becoming stone-like, and she fell claws-first, stabbing into the ground, and causing several large spikes of rock to shoot up from under her target. "... Ripper!"

"Grim Wave."

"Earth Stone Stab!"

"Mercury Icycle Bomb!"

"Venus..." Dragon Venus Put his arms to the sides, and several small orbs of light appeared around him. "Will'o'Wisp!" The orbs all shoot forwards, swirling around each other, and heading straight for his target.

"Sun..." Dragon Sun reached his hand forwards, aiming at Wiseman with his index finger, and a small ball of energy appeared right in front of it. He rose his thumb as the ball grew bigger, and it was easy to guess what the energy within was. "... Plasma Bolt!" He brought his thumb down against his hand as he said that, rising his hand as the ball of overheated gas shot forwards.

Wiseman was shocked. These kids... He was almost as strong as he had once been now, so even if there were many more of them attacking him, it was still not possible. A thousand years of difference meant nothing? Or were the ones from the future _holding back _as to not show him their true power? "This is..."

"Where is all your gloating now, monster?" Dimando snapped.

"I shall not be defeated by them, Prince. The more I wait, the stronger I become, and soon I shall be a god!"

"I won't let you win!" Dimando shouted, and unleashed a wide energy beam. The beam shot straight through Wiseman, and Dimando thought he had killed him for a split second, but then realized Wiseman's body was shimmering. "What?"

"Brother, watch out!"

Dimando turned around, but wasn't fast enough. Saffir, however, had guessed Wiseman's strategy, and used his own body to stop the blast. "Saffir!"

Saffir tried to stand up, but fell back to the ground. "Dimando, don't let... Don't let Wiseman win. The Senshi... They can defeat him."

Dimando noticed Saffir wasn't moving, and turned to glare at Wiseman. "You... My whole family's gone, my clan's fighting a war they can't win. I will not forgive you!"

"Begone, fool. Your clan was just a tool, but broken tools are useless."

"Die!"

As Dimando shot a large blast, Wiseman reached out a hand, and everyone could see the hand, and the arm it was attached to, were but bare bones. "Foolish prince, I am beyond your power now... But you can still be useful to me!"

Moon realized what Wiseman meant, and moved to cover ChibiUsa with her own body. However, something else stopped the blast, and Moon's eyes widened in shock as she saw who had stopped it. "You..."

Dimando fell to his knees. "I was blinded by jealousy, by hatred. I let that monster use me and my clan for his goals... Perhaps I deserve-"

"Hang in there, we can still save you."

Dimando smiled at Moon. "Just like the future Queen. She always looked at me with kindness and respect. Don't be sad, Serenity, I'm glad I could return your kindness... And besides, I can see Saffir and the others again now..."

Wiseman laughed, it was a mad, frenzied laughter. "Stupid to the end, he died by his own hand."

"No!"

Wiseman looked at Moon, whose glare could have pierced through his skull if it had been backed by magic. "What was that, mortal?"

"He died because of you. Each and every member of that clan... All for your stupid plans. And you feel no remorse?"

"Feelings? I don't care about feelings, although there's useful ones like jealousy or hatred. Like the hatred you're showing now."

"Let's shut that idiot up for good," Mars said.

"No, he's not bluffing," Mercury said, "his power is increasing even now. We may not be able to hurt him anymore."

"Hah! Listen to her, she knows I'm invincible!"

Mercury gave Wiseman a cold smile. "I didn't say that. There's one thing which can still defeat you, and you know it all too well, Death Phantom."

Wiseman took a step back as Moon summoned her Ginzuishou. "That... Even if you use that, I will still defeat you!"

Moon's eyes changed, and the way she was looking at Wiseman made him freeze for a second. "You... Such a being as yourself, whose only purpose is to end life, to bring pain and suffering to others. You're wrong, I don't hate you. I pity you."

"You? A mere mortal having pity of a god?"

"You're no god, Death Phantom, Wiseman or however you wish to be called. You're a cruel monster, just like Metallia and Beryl, and I cannot forgive you for all you've done. Moon Star Power!"

"Star Power?" Jupiter repeated as Moon's form was blurred by light.

"She was one of the last to reach Twilight, and yet..." Mercury smiled. "Guess she'll never stop surprising us."

Wiseman's hood was blown back by the energy around Moon, and his head was, as the Senshi had guessed, just a skull, with lifeless, black sockets which seemed to be staring at Moon as her transformation ended. "This much power... It's impossible."

Moon's suit was pretty much the same as before, except for her gloves, which now were almost touching her suit's shoulders. The colors were different, however, as her boots, gloves and skirt (a single skirt again) were all white with blue trimming. She looked at Wiseman again, her face unreadable, and then smiled as she drew a circle in the air, leaving behind a thin ring of light. The ring rapidly filled with light, turning into a disc nearly as tall as her, and she put her hands milimeters away from it, before reeling her right hand back, which was suddenly wrapped in light. "It's time to end this. Moonlight Flash!"

And then she punched the ring, causing a large orb of light to shoot forwards. "Shit..."

"Ami?"

"That thing has... Ten times the power of her previous attack."

Wiseman was quite aware of its power. "What is this?" He reached his hand out, and a beam of darkness shot forth, stopping the orb in its track. However, the orb kept inching closer to him. "No! I will not be defeated, not when I'm this close to my goal!"

Moon was struggling to keep the attack going. "Everyone... I need your help."

"Should we attack him too?" Mars asked.

"No, that won't work," Mercury said.

Dragon Venus smiled. "Mom once told me Senshi can do a Mana Link without even breaking a sweat. It won't hurt to try."

Dragon Sun nodded. "Everyone, focus in Usagi, think about lending all the energy you can to her. You will notice it if it works."

The Senshi all closed their eyes, and ChibiUsa gasped in awe. Energy was flowing from them to Moon, and the small girl saw that the orb of light had, for a few seconds, started to inch closer to Wiseman, but then it stopped. "Why... They're all doing their best, and yet they can't defeat him?" If only she could help them... But she was just a girl, what could she-

"Guys, don't give up! We can defeat him!"

ChibiUsa looked at Moon. Usagi Tsukino... Usagi was just a girl too, and yet she fought that hard to protect everyone. She smiled. "I want to help them. I will help them!" She felt something warm in her chest, and looked down just in time to see a crystal floating away from her. The Ginzuishou? The one from the future?

Mercury had detected a rather large power spike, and she risked opening her eyes as she kept sending energy to Moon. "Guys, look at that, ChibiUsa is..."

"She had it within her all this time?" Venus asked.

ChibiUsa smiled as she closed her eyes. "Is that so? It's okay if it's only this once." She rose the crystal up and stared at Wiseman, who was still focusing most of his attention in keeping up his dark beam, but was quite aware of what was going on with the Princess. "I will not let you hurt my friends, monster. Moon Prism Power!"

Wiseman gasped. "For her Senshi powers to awaken at such a young age... That isn't possible."

ChibiUsa's suit was just like Moon's first level suit, except her bows, skirt and neck were pink, while her boots and bows were a much darker shade of pink. A pair of white, diamond-shaped broochs completed the attire, along with a tiara much like Moon's one. She took that tiara off, and a few of the Senshi smiled as they were quite sure of what she was about to do. "There's something the Senshi said back home, Wiseman. Nothing is impossible for us. Moon Tiara... Action!"

The tiara shoot forth, passing straight through Moon's attack, and hitting Wiseman's dark beam. Wiseman could only stare in shock as the tiara bounced back after disrupting his attack. The disruption had been small, but he realized he wouldn't be able to stabilize his own attack in time, and could only scream in pain and fear as the orb hit him, and light swallowed him whole. When the light dimmed, there was nothing left of him.

"We did it!"

Moon smiled at Earth's words, but stared at the new Senshi. "What... You're a Senshi, too?" Not that she hadn't thought about it, herself, but she thought ChibiUsa would have to be 'a bit' older to become one.

Luna and the other Mooncats came walking to them. "There were legends back in Silver Milenium, about some Senshi awakening their powers at a young age. Not all of them had good endings, but in this case..."

"What's your name anyhow, Moon Two?" Venus asked.

"It's Sailor ChibiMoon," the girl said proudly.

"Eh, what the heck?" Jupiter asked.

"At least it's not _Mini_Moon," Dragon Mercury joked.

Moon suddenly noticed something, and looked around. "Hey, when did we get here?"

Pluto was standing right besides her. "I moved you away from there."

Dragon Sun looked up at the tower. "What will we do about the crys-" Just then, the crystal shattered, turning into dust and vanishing before any of it hit the ground. "-tal? Uh, nevermind."

"So, it's over," Moon said, then looked at Pluto. "Are you here to take ChibiUsa back?"

"No, not yet. Next time you see me, however, it will be time for her to return to her own era."

"Hey, wai-" ChibiMoon started, but sighed as Pluto vanished. "Guess that means I'll stay for a while."

Moon picked her up and nodded. "Let's go home, I think we all deserve a break after that."

"We still have school tomorrow," Venus complained. "We should have let them blast the school to dust when we had the chance..."

"Let's go do it, and we'll blame it on the Wiseman," Earth suggested.

"Karin..." Dragon Earth warned.

"Joking, joking."

Moon smiled as she heard her friends talk, but she was quite worried. Wiseman had been stronger than Metallia, would the next enemy they faced be even stronger?

"Mommy..."

Moon looked down and smiled, ChibiMoon had fallen asleep while they walked, and she was surely dreaming about Queen Serenity. "You'll see her soon, ChibiUsa."

* * *

**A/N:** And this ends (for now) your regularly scheduled canon anime arcs. Next arc will have shadows from the past, walking flowers, and dangerous games. Business, as usual.

By the way, in the previous version (Cyber Moon) Moon was one of the last to reach Star level, and did so around chapter seventy. This will be interesting...


	45. Nova two point zero

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 45: Nova 2.0**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 30, 2013_

* * *

"Eh, you can't transform again?"

ChibiUsa smiled. "It doesn't matter, I knew I could only use the crystal once."

The group was at the base, two days after their last battle, and they were shocked with the news. Still, Usagi nodded at the girl. "You know, I'm sure you will be a Senshi again, when you're older."

"Flame Sniper!"

"Light Buckler."

Mars smiled at Dragon Venus. "What do you think?"

"Those arrows don't look like a lot, actually."

Mars' smile turned devious as she summoned another arrow. "Oh, you're sure about that? Flame..."

Ami's eyes widened as the flame in Mars' hand grew bigger. "Rei, that's dangerous!"

"... Sniper!"

Dragon Venus looked at the man-sized arrow dismissively. "Fire is fire, magical or not. Tidal Wall."

Mars stared blankly as her arrow was absorbed by a large wall of water. "Okay, now that's _a bit _impressive."

"If I was just a Demon Hunter, that spell wouldn't have blocked your arrow. Good thing being a Senshi gives my spells quite a boost."

"Speaking of Demon Hunters, I haven't seen Emi and the others a lot lately."

"They're still training," Kage explained, "Demon Hunters have a harder time powering up than Senshi, and if I'm guessing right, the three of them are quite close to the top already. Once you learn all you can from others, what's left is teaching yourself new tricks. There's legends of Demon Hunters who grew to a level which would make most Senshi from the old era be impressed. But they're legends, we won't ever know if Merlin or Odin were really-"

"Wait a second," Terry said, "you mean _the _Merlin and Odin?"

"The legends around those two Hunters grew a lot. One of them was even turned into a god through those legends. But it's not strange at all," Brad said, "where do you think the names for the planets in our system came from?"

"Our Senshi forms were named after the planets, but I never thought about where the planets' names came from," Usagi admitted.

"That's because you already know, but haven't realized yet."

Hotaru looked at Kage. "Cute, you're talking like Pluto now."

Kage smiled. "It's quite simple. Senshi have existed for much longer than our current civilization. If legends are to be trusted, Senshi have seen mankind fall and rise back from its ashes three times, so the original names for the planets are unknown. But as far as modern astrology goes, we have reasons to believe romans took the names of their deities from ancient legends, legends which spoke about godlike beings who could control things like lightning, water, wind, fire, or even time and death..."

Usagi blinked a few times before nodding. "I get it. So the planets are named after us?"

"Maybe that was true for Silver Milenium too, but we'll never know."

"Oh guys, by the way, Ami and I have been working a lot lately-"

"Only working?" Rei asked, slyly.

"... None of your business," Terry muttered, "however, we've finished these." As he said that, a small swarm of airboard appeared around him. "One for each Senshi."

"Oh no, it's the attack of the zombie airboards!"

Hotaru stared blankly at Kage. "Seriously, Terry's a bad influence for you."

Terry chuckled. "You can practice using it in here, there's enough room to fly around, and not enough height to make falls dangerous."

"You forgot to make one for Small Lady."

"Uh, yeah, but I thought that she-" Terry stopped and looked to the side, then jumped in shock. "Damn, how did you get in here?"

"Intruder alert."

Pluto looked around, and the sirens fell silent. "I control time and space, do you think I will bother with checkpoints and security systems?"

"Good point."

"Puu!"

Pluto smiled as ChibiUsa run to her. "As promised, it is time."

ChibiUsa stopped and stared at Pluto. "I..."

Usagi smiled and walked to her. "Don't be sad, you will be with your mom again."

"We'll miss you, though," Mamoru said. He was glad he had decided to go to the base that day, even though he didn't feel like training.

ChibiUsa took Pluto's hand, but then looked at Usagi. "I want to see my mom in the future, but... I also have a mom here. I'll miss you, Usagi... I'll miss everyone."

"We'll see you in a thousand years," Terry said.

"You'll be seeing her again before you think," Pluto said, then vanished along wiht ChibiUsa.

"Uh, does she always do that?"

Hotaru looked at Usagi. "The whole 'make a cryptical remark before vanishing' thing? Yeah."

* * *

Darkness. That's the first thing she was aware of. She opened her eyes, and found herself staring at darkness. She could sense two beings near her. But she wasn't worried about them right now, or about how she could sense them. She had quickly became aware of something: She had been dead, and had somehow returned to life. Pieces of her memory were flashing through her mind, and she slowly started remembering everything. She was Hana Thompson, and she had been able to move objects with her mind since she was born, along with other, strange powers. She had created a second identity, Nova, with which she could fight criminals. But she wasn't alone, she could remember him now. Zero. More pieces fell into place, although some of them seemed to shimmer. It was hard to explain, and she was still too confused to try and make sense of it. However, now she remembered him. Zero. Her friend, her love, the one she trusted with her life... And yet he had, in the end, betrayed her, he helped the youma kill her.

One of the figures she had sensed walked into the light. Hana, or rather Nova (she now noticed the suit she was wearing, it seemed to be made of a rather strange material,) looked at him as she fought back tears. "Who are you?"

"First tell me who you are," the man said. He was tall and thin, his skin had a corpse-like tone, and his eyes hid behind black glasses, even though there was hardly any light in the room.

Still, Nova answered his question. "I am Nova."

"Only Nova?"

The girl nodded. "Hana is dead, Zero... Terry betrayed me, so I don't feel like I could be my old self anymore. But why did you-"

"Because he's still alive, and he's become a threat to the world."

Nova looked at the other figure. She (the voice seemed female, at least,) was hiding in the shadows, but Hana caught a glimpse of gold. Was it a piece of jewelry, her skin, her hair? She couldn't tell. "A threat? How so?"

"The youma were defeated, but Zero has joined a much stronger force. They call themselves Senshi, and are currently in Tokyo."

"I told you my name, so..."

"Oh, excuse our manners," the man said, "My name is Onara, and the mysterious lady over there is A."

"Only 'A'?"

"Let's just say I also have an identity to protect."

"Fair enough." Nova reached out with her senses, and gasped. She had a much better control than before, she could 'see' clearer now. "What is this..."

"We were too late to save your body," Onara explained, "but don't worry, the body you have right now is a hundred percent human, we just made some minor alterations so that you could control your powers much better."

"If Zero is allied to the Senshi, then I'll have to consider them my enemies. However... Why did you revive me?"

"Isn't it clear? We can't face the Senshi ourselves, so we thought reviving the strongest warrior we ever heard of would be a good idea."

"How are you sure I won't just fry your minds?"

"Because you owe us this second chance, and... Because we researched on you. You're no murderer, you don't kill remorselessly."

Nova laughed. "Can't say that's wrong. Okay, I will go now."

"We will be leaving the city," Onara warned, "the Senshi may be able to find us if we stay. We'll contact you once you're done defeating them."

"Good, this will be a challenge," Nova said, then vanished.

Onara turned to the other woman. "So, what do you think?"

"Your brainwashing seemed flawless. She really believes Zero betrayed and killed her."

"I prefer the term 'memory remodelation,'" Onara said. "There is a chance that she could bring her real memories back, but... She will be too busy killing Senshi to have time for that."

"Hope you're right. Let's leave, just in case she does. Her power is something else, I'm not sure Beryl would have stood a chance against it... Or the Wiseman, for that matter."

"Moon is, right now, technically stronger than either," Onara noted, "but Moon's major flaw is her kindness. She will hesitate to attack Nova. Most of the Senshi will. And even if they do, one of them will surely try to stop them. Their own morals will be their doom."

* * *

Back with the Senshi, the group had decided to try out their boards, so the room became noisier than usual pretty quickly. Hotaru knew she had to practice like the rest, but she was also feeling something... It was hard to explain, a feeling in the back of her mind which told her peace would be over soon.

Kage noticed Hotaru's mood, and walked to her. "Hey, there's a new horror movie, I heard it's quite good. It starts in a couple hours, but I thought you would like it."

"It's a date, then," Hotaru said with a smile. She would face the new enemy when it showed up, for the time being she was going to enjoy the moment.

"She likes horror movies, huh?" Terry mused. "Somehow fits her personality."

"Are you saying I'm scary?" Hotaru said, glaring at him.

"Ehh... Yeah."

"Thanks for the compliment," Hotaru said with a smile.

"... She can be quite hard to read, at times," Usagi said after Hotaru and Kage had left the room.

Terry nodded, "yeah, I don't-" He then sensed something and reached his arms out, catching a very surprised Rei as she fell down from her airboard. "Thank you for dropping by."

Rei leapt off Terry's arms and stared at him. "You didn't even look up, how-"

"A ninja never reveals his secrets."

"And a clown follows the same policy, right?" Karin said from above them.

Terry was still looking at Rei. "Something on your mind, Rei?"

"Huh? Why?"

"I was paying attention to all of you while you practiced, and you were the first to control your airboard. For you to fall off your board like that, it means something must be bothering you."

Rei looked down. "I've had a weird feeling since yesterday, and before coming to the base today, I asked the sacred fires about it."

"And what did it tell you?" Terry had heard about the fire from Rei and the others, and while not a religious person himself, he knew they had predicted things in the past. Whether godly or magical, they weren't a thing to overlook.

"They showed me images. A girl, a star, a man in a strange blue suit... And a figure using some kind of energy to destroy the city."

Ami thought about it for a minute, but finally sighed. "Guess we'll know it whenever they decide to attack."

"Alert, an unknown entity has appeared nearby. Saturn and Dragon Sun are about to engage."

"Is the entity a magical being?" Ami asked. It was good that the computer could answer things like those without having to type in the question, it saved them time.

"Scanning... The entity seems to be using psycho-kinetic energy."

"Psychic energy..." Terry stared at the computer in shock. A star, a girl... And now this. It had to be a coincidence. It couldn't be her.

And yet, his mind kept running in circles around that idea. But even if it was her, if she was attacking her friends, he would have to knock some sense into her head.

* * *

"Hey, are you okay?"

Hotaru cringed. He had noticed, after all. "I feel something lurking," she said, "a new enemy will show up soon."

"You don't know just how right you are, Senshi."

Hotaru looked up at the figure. A woman, floating in mid-air, wearing a black, form-fitting suit (which reminded her of Zero's suit,) and a black mask over her eyes. "Who are you?"

"What? You mean Zero never mentioned me? Just like him to forget about me like that!"

Kage was knocked back by an unseen force, and stood up, wincing in pain. "I think we should change for the party," he said as he saw there were no civilians around.

"Saturn Twilight Power!"

"Sun Twilight Power!"

"Huh, what are you two supposed to be, an evil cheerleader and an evil clown?"

"Only Hotaru can call me a clown," Dragon sun snapped.

"Wait, Kage," Saturn said, finally realizing who this woman was.

"What? We have to beat her."

"But... That's Nova."

Sun looked up at the woman. True, Terry didn't talk about his late girlfriend that much, but he knew Saturn was right. "If she is, then two things are off. One, she's alive, and two, she's attacking us."

"I'm here to get my revenge."

Saturn looked up. "Revenge for what? We didn't do a thing to you."

"But Zero did. You can thank him for that in the afterlife, since he will be joining you two pretty soon."

Saturn was knocked back by another unseen blast. "Damn it, whether you're Nova or not, I can just let you shoot at me without fighting back."

"Good, I was starting to think you wouldn't be a challenge."

"So be it. Grim..."

"Hotaru, stop!"

Nova looked to the side, and saw a group of Senshi flying her way. The airboards they were using, they were just like Zero's one. And the one in blue, the one who had shouted at her. He was a Senshi too? "Zero?"

"Hana, why are you attacking them?" He wanted to ask something else, but first things first, he had to stop her from attacking the others.

"You dare asking why, after what you did?"

"Hana, I don't-"

"Stop using that name, Zero. Hana is dead. You killed her."

"What?" Moon stared at Dragon Mercury. "Terry, what's going on?"

"Play dumb all you want, I'll still kill you!"

Moon picked herself off the ground and looked around. The others were all standing up, but still... Nova's power was amazing, she had-

"I knew it," Dragon Mercury said, "you're holding back."

"Holding back?" Venus almost shouted. "You mean that blast right now, whatever it was, was weak?"

"If she really meant to kill us, we would be dead," the Dragon said, "Senshi or not, I know her true power is much stronger than this."

Nova had realized the same thing. Why couldn't she kill them? He had betrayed and killed her, so why- No, she knew why, he had told one of his allies to stop. He had stopped them from hurting her. But why?

"Hana, what did they do to you?"

"They? It was all you! You..."

"I was too weak to protect you, I had to watch you die. I cursed my own weakness for months, Hana. You should know how I feel about you."

Moon noticed Mercury looking at the Dragon in a strange way as he said that, but decided not to say a thing.

Nova stared at him. "I... I'll be back to kill you later, Zero!"

Saturn saw Nova vanish and growled. "What the hell's wrong with that girl?"

"I don't know," Dragon Mercury said, "let's go back to the base. I want to find her, wherever she is."

Again, Moon saw Mercury's strange stare, and flinched. Was Mercury jealous?

* * *

"She's nowhere to be found," Ami said.

Terry sighed. "Should have expected that. She knows how to hide her power."

"Terry..."

He looked at her, and finally realized something. "You're... Jealous."

Rei snorted. "I won't blame her, Nova showed up and you did talk a lot about her in the past..."

"But I moved on. I thought she wouldn't be back."

"Still, why is she acting like that?"

"Brainwashing," Hotaru said, "someone must have toyed with her mind, perhaps they even tried to change her memories."

Terry nodded. "If she really believes I killed her, then..."

"Moreso, she called us evil," Hotaru noted. "Whoever did it, put us as the bad guys."

"If she were so bent on getting revenge, wouldn't she attack again? She must know how to find you."

Terry smiled at Naru. "I'm sure she's able to 'see' where I am right now. And that may be just why she's not attacking."

"Huh?"

Hotaru knew what he meant. "She can sense us too, and she must know we're all in here."

"She's no fool, even with her power, if we all fight against her, then..." Terry suddenly looked down. "Damn. I don't think I can hurt her, actually."

Ami sighed. "Terry, we will help her."

Terry smiled at her. "You know, I can tell you're not okay with it. But trust me, I'm not doing this because I want to get my former girlfriend back." He noticed the others were all looking at him, and shrugged. "She was my best friend before she became something else. I still think about her as a friend, and I don't want any of my friends to suffer."

"Yeah, we know that about you," Mako admitted.

"And that's why... I'm going to go call her out."

"No!"

"Ami, she want to get revenge on me, if I could talk to her on my own, then perhaps I-"

"She could kill you."

"You don't know her power like I do. She would have killed _us all _earlier today if she was really meaning to. She may talk about revenge, but a part of her mind still doubts her goals. I think that may be the key to make her see the truth."

"I won't let you go out there alone."

"But Ami, I-"

"Terry, you know I love you, but I'm not going to change my mind about this."

Terry stared at her for a few seconds before sighing. "That was the first time you said it."

Ami noticed everyone was staring at them now, and blushed slightly. "I won't let you go out there alone."

"We'll all go," Usagi said, "we must-"

"Warning, unknown entity detected."

Usagi frowned. "Is it Nova again?"

"No, this creature's data does not match the data of any creature in the database."

"A new enemy?" Brad said.

"Damn, not now. We don't know when Nova could-"

"Rei, Naru, come with me," Usagi said.

"Huh? Why?"

"We'll take care of whoever that is. The rest of you, keep an eye out for Nova."

"She could attack you while you're fighting this new foe," Ami noted.

"I know, that's actually what I'm hoping."

Terry frowned as the three girls walked out of the room. "So, it's fine for them to go out there and risk their lives?"

"We'll help them if they need it," Hotaru said, "trust them."

"I do, I just don't want to see them get hurt."

"Neither does Usagi, and you know that. It's exactly why she's doing this."

"Brave to the point of recklessness," Ami said, "you're definitely a bad influence for her."

* * *

**A/N:** For those who read Cyber Moon, this arc will be a 'fusion' of two different arcs from that fic.

Writing about Nova trying to beat the Senshi around again feels a bit nostalgic... But it's also a challenge to try keeping the feel of the original plot points, while improving on them.


	46. Game on

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 46: Game on.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: April 30, 2013_

* * *

"I have summoned you, my warrior, because you will have the honor of killing the Senshi."

The figure just stared blankly at the man as he spoke, its large mouth and beady eyes showing only slight signs of intelligence.

"Attack Juuban, that's the area where they're always seen. You will draw them out and destroy them for good!"

The figure, again, just stared at him.

"... Just go already." The man waited for a few seconds, then sighed in exhasperation. "Fine, I get it. If you kill at least one Senshi, I'll summon some ghosts for you to gnaw on." The figure smiled and made a noise close to a chuckle before vanishing. The man stared at the spot where it had been for a few seconds before sighing again. "Okay, perhaps Pac-Man wasn't the best choice for this job."

* * *

Several minutes later, Moon was staring in disbelief at their supposed target. "Girls, please tell me you're seeing the same thing I'm seeing."

Nemesis was also staring at the creature in shock. "If you mean a truck-sized Pac-Man chomping cars to bits, then yeah."

"So this is the new enemy? A Pac-Man?" Mars said. "Let's end this quick. Fire Soul!"

Pac-Man heard the shout and turned around, noticing the flame blast heading straight for it. Upon realizing it wouldn't be able to dodge it in time, it did the only thing it could do in such a situation: It ate the fire.

Mars' jaw dropped as her attack was literally eaten by the yellow orb. "What. The. Fuck?"

"I think you need to use something stronger," Nemesis said. "Dark Shot!" Again, Pac-Man simply ate the attack, but this time he burped after a few seconds. "This is just too stupid."

"Hmph, I'll show you how you do it. Moonlight Flash!" Pac-Man, once again, ate the beam, but this time he shot it right back at them as he burped. "Eeek! Okay, this is annoying."

"Flametongue." Pac-Man turned and looked up at the newcomer. Warwitch stared down at it and chuckled. "Hey, perhaps this time around I'll finally be able to beat Pac-Man."

"Flame Sniper!"

Moon frowned as the creature turned to them, eating the flame arrow as it had eaten everything else. Still... "Girls, keep shooting at it."

Mars knew Moon enough to see that the blonde had a plan. And while Usagi wasn't as smart as Ami, she also knew Moon could come up with some good ideas once in a while. "Okay. Fire Soul! Fire Soul! Fire Soul! Fire Soul! Fire.."

Warwitch saw Mars shooting a barrage of fire bolts at Pac-Man. It was quite pointless, what were they planning? She then noticed Moon slowly circling around the yellow ball, as Nemesis started shooting at it as well. Being so focused in eating the attacks, it was oblivious to the fact Moon was right behind it, and charging up her chakrams.

"Double Flight!"

The two chakrams shot right through Pac-Man, and for a second nothing happened. Then the yellow ball whimpered and shrank until it vanished.

"Well, that was easy," Mars commented, then heard a clapping noise. "Who the heck..."

Nemesis looked up, and saw a man wearing a blue suit which somehow seemed familiar to her. His face was hidden by a visored helmet, so only his mouth could be seen. "Who is that?"

"Bravo, Senshi, I knew you would have little trouble defeating that one."

"You sent that thing here?" Moon asked.

"Isn't that obvious?" the man asked back. "My name's Game Master, and today's attack was just a test. I have plenty of minions to use, and not all of them will be as weak as that one was."

Nemesis snapped her fingers and smiled. "Of course, Rockman!"

"Huh?" Warwitch didn't quite get what she was talking about.

"His armor. It's almost like Rockman's one, except for the visor. I know that because Umino loves those games."

"So, that's who we're facing, a nerd cosplaying as Rockman?" Mars asked. "Let's just beat him here and now. Flame... Sniper!"

Game Master rose his hand, and the arrow was stopped by a forcefield. He then smirked. "Fight fire with fire, Rei. Firaga."

Moon fell to her knees as the attack passed. She could tell the fire wave was even stronger than Mars' strongest attack, this man was not joking. "He's... Too strong."

The man sighed. "Bah, you girls won't be a challenge for me yet. There's no point in playing if my enemies will be this easy to defeat."

Nemesis saw the man vanish and frowned. "He may push three of us around, but I don't think he can handle all of us together."

Moon nodded. "Yes, we could-" she stopped and reached out her hand, her communicator appearing in it. "Huh? Hi guys, what's up?"

Mercury's face appeared in the screen, and Moon saw her suit looked different. "Nova attacked again."

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah," Mercury said, and Moon saw she was hiding something, "and I don't think she'll be back to fight us, not after what I did... Or what she did."

"Huh? Hey, what happened while we were-"

"Come back to the base and we'll tell you."

"Okay, we also have something strange to tell you."

* * *

"Alert, entity known as Nova has appeared."

Ami looked up at the screen. "She's come to say hi again," she said with a humorless smile. Indeed, the scanners were showing that their foe was right outside their base.

"Good. Let me do the talking, guys."

"As long as she doesn't mind us," Brad joked.

"Normally I would find that amusing," Terry said. "Let's go," he added before walking into the elevator.

"Wow, this must be really upsetting him," Brad noted.

"Let's just get that girl back to her real self," Minako muttered.

* * *

Nova didn't show it, but she was quite nervous. She wasn't here to fight, she just wanted to know why Zero had stopped his allies before. Something bugged her about the whole picture. The Terry she knew, the Terry she loved, would do that, but also, the Terry she knew would not ally with evil beings.

And the Senshi... She couldn't sense any evil intent in them. "Good, most of you are here."

"Hana, we're not your enemies."

She looked at the Dragon. He seemed sincere, but the memories in her mind were still the same. She could see him, standing over her as she bled to death, his sword dripping blood, and he was smiling, a cold, sinister smile. "I... I don't know if I can trust you."

"You don't know?" Dragon Mercury "Can you really mean that? You know me, Hana. The real me. The guy who would fight battles for you even when you didn't need me to. The guy who was there to comfort you when your brother died, the guy who would make a fool of himself just to see you smile. I don't know what they did to your mind, Hana, but you should know the one you're seeing there... That's not me."

Mercury looked at him. "Terry..."

Nova saw the Dragon turn to Mercury, and smile at her. She knew that kind of smile. But it couldn't be. "Terry, who is that?"

"Hana... I came to Japan looking for your murderer, and I met the Senshi here. We defeated the youma together, and the one who had killed you."

"Luminite..." Nova said. No, Luminite had only helped Zero kill her. That's what her memories were telling her. But for some reason, she wanted to believe this Terry, not the one in her mind. "And who is that girl to you, Terry?"

The Dragon sighed. He knew exactly what she was asking, and a part of him dreaded answering, but he had never lied to her. He wouldn't start now. "You were gone for more than a year, Hana. I used the memory of you as an excuse, but... In the end, I realized I had to move on. I still consider you a friend, and I'm glad to see you alive, but..."

"But what? You're telling me I've been brought back just to watch you be with someone else? I can't accept that."

"That's not for you to decide," Mercury said.

Nova glared at her. "You... Who the hell are you, anyhow?"

"My real name is Ami Mizuno," Mercury said, "and I know all too well why you feel how you feel about him. He's kind, he's sincere, and he may be a bit of a pervert at time, but he's also a charmer when he must. I'm sorry, but I love him, and as he said, he's moved on."

Nova's glare turned darker. "No! He's mine!"

Dragon Mercury paled. It was the first time he had _seen_ one of Nova's attacks. True, he had felt their effects a few times, when they trained back home, but her attacks were always invisible. The large, black bolt heading straight at him right now, there was something very wrong with it.

No, it wasn't heading for him, and he realized it just in time. "Ami, out of the way!"

Venus froze in shock, the attack had been too fast for any of them to react. Any of them except for Dragon Mercury, who had shielded Mercury with his body. As he slumped to the ground, she saw Mercury's face, and knew things could go very wrong from that point on.

Saturn rushed to check on the Dragon. "Whatever that blast was, it was powerful. It will take me a while to heal him, if I can even-" she stopped as she looked back, and saw Mercury had a thin blue aura surrounding her. "Shit..." She flinched, but knew she couldn't stop her. All she could do was try to heal the Dragon and hope the others could stop the battle before things went wrong.

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Ami, wait," Venus started, but Mercury was already moving. Nova wasn't moving, however, she was just staring at Terry's prone form. So she knew what she had almost done, but that apparently made no difference for Ami right now.

"Mercury..." Mercury's right hand was quickly covered by ice as she spun. "... Frozen..." The ice turned a dark blue, and her hand could be barely seen inside it. She stopped, taking a moment to glare at Nova again before swinging her fist forwards. "... Rage!" The barrage of ice needles that shot forwards was much more dangerous than it looked, because of the magic backing it up. The attack hit Nova, knocking her off the sky, but Mercury wasn't done yet. "Frozen Rage!"

"Ami, wait, please!" Venus pleaded as she saw Nova trying to stand up.

"Frozen Rage!" This time, the attack knocked her foe to the ground, and Nova only moved her arms weakly, still trying to get away. Frozen-"

"Ami, stop it already."

Mercury gasped and stopped her attack before it shot, then looked back, her glare turning into a happy smile. "Terry!"

Dragon Mercury sighed as she hugged him, then noticed she was sobbing. "Ami, it's okay-"

"It's not okay... I... I could have killed her if I kept on attacking. I- A part of me wanted to do it. I'm..."

"You're not to blame for that, neither is she for attacking me," the Dragon said, then frowned. "Fuck, she left again."

"In her state, she won't be a threat, and after the beating Mercury gave her..."

"I don't know what happened to me, I just reacted, I didn't think at all."

"Love can be quite a weapon in the right hands, huh?" Jupiter mused.

Mercury decided to call Moon, and the others waited for the call to end. Saturn looked at Dragon Mercury and frowned. "Terry, are you okay?"

"I'll live."

"That was extremely foolish of you."

"I'm aware of that, but I would do it again if I had to." He looked to the point where Nova had fallen before escaping. "I was dreading this from the moment I realized it was really her. For her, it was only yesterday that we were laughing and kissing... Waking up to this, she must be- No, I don't know how she must be feeling."

"If she comes back," Jupiter said, "we'll ask her who revived her. We'll find him, her or it, and ask about it." As she said that last bit, she rose her fists and looked at them, and everyone knew what she meant by 'asking.'

Mercury put her comm away and sighed. "Okay, let's go back in."

"Ami, I'm sorry for making you worry like that."

"It's okay, I'm used to you being foolish by now."

"And also..."

"Yes?"

"Don't hate Hana. That... That's not how she is. Her mind must be a mess right now, she's not someone who would shoot to kill-"

"She didn't shoot to kill," Mercury said. "You said it yourself, if she really meant it..."

"You're right. But I don't know what she will do from now on. We should all be careful."

* * *

Several minutes later, the Senshi were back inside their base. Yukiko was also there, and was shocked to hear about what Nova had done. "I know I'm a bit of an outsider, but are you... Are you sure you can bring her back?"

"Yes," Terry said, almost instantly. The others stared at him in shock. "Guys, I know Hana, she's not evil, she will not willingly choose the side of evil."

"You keep saying she could kill us if she wanted to. Can you be sure of that?"

Terry bit his lip and his face turned grim for a minute. He finally let out a sigh. "Okay, I know you heard me tell her about her brother. Let me tell you exactly what happened back then. See, Hana was born in a wealthy family, like me, but she was the exception. Her brother, born five years before her, was a normal guy, but he never let Hana down. Her powers could freak people around her at times, but her parents and brother didn't mind her special skills at all. I remember it, that day her brother had left for a meeting with some classmates, a car run him over while he was heading back home, the driver was drunk... Hana heard about an accident close to her house, and somehow she had the feeling something had happened to her brother."

"And she found him," Usagi guessed.

"When we got there, the ambulance was already there, but the paramedic said it was too late. Hana took off running, I didn't know what she would do, but I knew her powers let her see things I couldn't see, so I feared she would... And, indeed, she was able to follow the car. She didn't mind people seeing her as she run, faster than any human could run. I had to use my board just to keep up with her. When we found the car, however, I realized if Hana wanted revenge, she had, in a way, found it. The car had crashed down from a bridge, and straight into a river."

"Wow, that's just..."

Terry smiled sadly at Mako. "That's not the end of it. See, I had seen Hana's powers, the part of it she keeps under control, she could move objects with her mind, she could knock people around, she could stop bullets with it. I was awed by all that, but that day I realized just how little I knew about the nature of her powers. Grief can be a powerful weapon, and Hana let out all of her grief as she fell on her knees. I heard her cry, and then saw the area around her... It's hard to explain, and it was a good thing there were no civilians close to us. It was frightening, the way the concrete under her seemed to shimmer and melt away, the bridge was reduced to nothing but shreds in a matter of seconds, and the air around us seemed to be burning. And yet, I realized something almost instantly. All the destruction she was causing, all the power she was displaying, I had been standing right next to her when it started. I should have been ripped to pieces by the psychic storm, but I was fine. She took her rage on inanimate objects, but she couldn't hurt me, even though her mind was a mess right then. I managed to calm her down and we left before anyone could see us. That was the first and only time I saw Hana's power unleashed."

"So that's why you said..."

"Ami, your upgrade makes you much stronger than the rest of us, not counting Moon, but if she had really wanted to kill you, and I took the shot, then Saturn would have been forced to revive me."

Usagi looked at the others. "Guys, ChibiUsa attacked us too. I know none of us knows Hana that much, but... What I heard about her from Terry is different from what we've seen. That's not the real Nova, in a way, and while we can't let her hurt innocents, we shouldn't treat her like an enemy, either."

* * *

Hana frowned. She hadn't realized this at first, but she could speak and understand Japanese without even trying. She could read Japanese as if it had always been her native language. It was surely Onara's fault. She had spent the last few hours searching, researching... She knew it now, the Senshi were not evil. Onara and A had tricked her, but she couldn't sense them. They knew she could find out about it, and that's why they had left. But that wasn't quite important for her right now.

She couldn't stop replaying it in her mind. Her blind rage, her attempt at injuring (not killing... She wouldn't be a murderer, even at such a state of mind,) and Mercury's attack. She had never felt something like that, the ice seemed to cool down the blood in her veins, after the second attack, even the air she was breathing in was freezing cold. And yet... Mercury could have killed her, right then, right there. Terry could have let it all end, if he wanted to be with that girl, then why save her?

Hana flinched as she saw it in her mind. All the times Terry had protected her, helped her, turned sadness into happy smiles. "He's mine?" she said, remembering the line she had said before attacking. "What an idiot I am. He's not mine, he's not a toy I can get back like that, he..." The last memories of her former life appeared again. Zero, smiling with a bloodied sword. No, that was a lie. She could see the image changing, Zero crying as she weakly tried to cheer him up. That was the last thing she remembered before she woke up in that room.

Now she knew it, those two assholes had used her, made her believe a stupid lie. If she ever saw them again... No, she couldn't worry about that now. She had to decide what her next step would be. She knew where all the Senshi were, she could see them in her mind. She could just teleport in and- "And what?" After what she had done, they would not trust her, and she couldn't blame them. No, she couldn't bear facing him again, she had to leave, to-

_'That's something I like about you, Hana. You don't run away.'_

That made her freeze on the spot. It was something Terry had told her, after one of their battles, one in which they had faced twenty very armed thugs. And she realized something as she remembered that. She had run away, not once, but twice, since she had been brought back. And she had been about to run away a third time, even without trying. That was not her, and she was quite tired of not being sure of who she was. No, she would face her problem head-on, for better or for worse.

With only a thought, she vanished from the alley she had been at, her mind set on her destination. The place the Senshi called their base.

* * *

**A/N:** If you think Sailor Moon versus Pac-Man was weird, you have no idea...


	47. Starting over

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 47: Starting over.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 1, 2013_

* * *

The Senshi had decided to stay inside the base after the last battle, and most of them were sure Nova would be back. And indeed, Nova appeared in the center of the room, but they couldn't tell what her intentions were. Was she there to fight? No, she was just staring at Terry, and at Ami, who was sitting close to him.

"I was hoping you would come back."

Nova smiled at him, and then her armor and mask were gone, leaving her in her civilan clothes. "I know it won't be enough, but I want to say I'm sorry for all I did, Terry... No, all of you, Senshi."

Ami stared at her, and then stood up, walking to her. "Then I'll have to apologize for attacking you."

Hana was quite surprised, there was no hostility in any of the teenagers surrounding her. Were they really so eager to forgive and forget?

Moon seemed to know what she was thinking, and smiled at her. "Nova... No, Hana. I was the first one to meet Terry when he came here, and I still remember the way he acted back then, after you died. You mean a lot to him, I knew that whenever he talked about you."

Terry sighed. "I know it must hurt to know that you and I..."

"Even if it hurts, I can understand," Hana said. "After all, I wasn't expecting to come back from the dead, either. It will take me some time to get used to it, but..."

"I hope we can still be friends," Terry said.

"Me too," Ami admitted. "I've heard a lot about you, and while none of us chose to be what we are, I realized someone with your abilities could be a lot of help to us. After seeing what you can do with my own eyes, I know I was right to think that."

Hana shook her head. "This is just too good to be true. After what I did-"

"Not too long ago, one of our friends was taken over by evil, and attacked us several times before we could bring her back to our side," Moon said. "So it's not the first time we had to go through that."

Hana looked at Terry. "How... How did you become one of them?"

"It was the day I finally got Luminite. As Zero, I knew for a while that I couldn't defeat her, and she went as far as trying to hunt us one by one. I was upset at my weakness, and then, one of my swords lit up, and I felt a surge of power. Luna had told me the swords chose their user, apparently this one chose me."

"Luna?"

"One of the Mooncats, they help us fight evil... Though they mostly slack off," Minako said.

As if on cue, Artemis landed on Minako's head, glaring at her. "Who slacks off?"

"Uh..."

Artemis looked at the newcomer. "So this is the mighty Nova."

Hana blinked at him a few times, before shaking her head. "Talking cats. Now I've seen it all."

Terry looked at her. "Hana, are you okay now?"

Hana sighed. "not really, I have a lot of thinking to do, but... Don't worry, I'm not going to attack any of you. Not after I saw the power Mercury has."

Moon smiled. She had been training with Saturn before Hana arrived, and while she didn't like showing off often, it was still fun to do it once in a while. "And she's not the strongest Senshi, either. Moonlight Flash!"

Hana's eyes widened as Moon's energy orb punched through a wall, and kept going for a few meters. "Holy... Crap."

"I take it you can sense our power?" Ami guessed.

Hana nodded slowly. "I can... I could only stop that beam if I, uhm..."

"I told them about it," Terry said, "they wanted to know why I knew you weren't going for the kill."

"I see." She paused and then smiled. "So, each of you controls one element, right?"

"Not quite right," Terry said, "I use ice, and so does Ami."

"So there's a male and female Senshi for each planet?"

"There could be one for each planet, and some of the satellites, in theory," Artemis admitted. "There's Dragon Sun, too, so a Sailor Sun could show up as well."

Minako frowned. "Hey Art, mind getting off my head?"

"Why would I, it's not like you're using it for anything."

Minako summoned her whip, and looked up again. "Three, two, one..." She smiled as Artemis leapt off her. "Good kitty."

Hana scanned the room. "Am I wrong, or you use this place to train?"

"That we do," Terry said, "in fact, Hakko has taught my new friends a lot."

"Oh, so he's back in Tokyo?"

"He's coming here whenever he has some free time," Terry explained, "I try to teach them what I know when he's not around."

"Maybe I could teach them a thing or two, too."

Moon looked at Hana. "Wait, you mean you also trained-"

Hana smiled. "There's times when I needed more than my powers to fight."

"Hey, how about you show them what you know?"

"A friendly fight?" Hana looked at Terry. "Sure, why not."

"Is she good?" Mako asked.

"Instead of telling you how good she is, I'll let her show you," Terry said with a grin.

* * *

Rubeus frowned. "So, Nova was a failure."

"Unfortunately, yes. We still have our other soldier, but..."

"You don't like any lose ends," Onara guessed.

"That's right, doctor. This is why I asked you two to work on that little side project."

Onara smiled wickedly. "I see... So we send one failure to take care of another."

"And if the Senshi interfere, they could pay a high price this time around."

"I like your style, lady."

A looked at Rubeus. "We don't need to face the Senshi head-on. And with you both working on those, we could have another batch of them ready quite soon."

* * *

Ami was as surprised as the others. Much despite herself, she knew Terry was better at fighting than any of her friends, and yet... He didn't seem to be holding back, and still, Hana didn't seem to have any problem keeping up with him. They had both scored several blows, and were looking pretty tired. "You should stop."

"Sorry, Ami, but it's been a while since I was able to spar with her. I won't be happy until either of us gives up."

Hana smirked. "Likewise." She shot forwards, using a quick flurry of punches and kicks to try and hit him, but Terry blocked all the blows. "Damn..."

"I suppose I'll need to get serious to win this," Terry said.

"He vanished?" Usagi asked. No, there he was, right behind Hana. "Wow, he's faster than usual."

Hana was able to turn and block the first kick, but Terry kept going, hitting her square in the chest with a second kick, then a third kick to the legs, causing her to fall on her back. She just laid there for a few seconds before chuckling. "I was wondering when you would stop holding back. I give up, I can't beat you without my powers when you're like that."

Ami walked up to Terry. "What was that?"

"Huh? I just moved fast."

"You sure you just moved?" Brad asked. "That looked like a short-range phase."

Mako shook her head. "I saw him move. I'm not sure I could block his kicks if he did that, but-"

Rei nodded. "I saw it, too. But why didn't you use that speed while training with us?"

"Because you're not ready for it," Terry said. "If you keep training, and our guesses on Senshi powers are right, then I think you may be able to counter that in a few years."

"But you'll keep powering up as well," Usagi said.

Terry smiled. "Then I guess you'll have to train a lot."

Hana stood up with a jump, and sighed. "Same old Terry."

"You were amazing, too!" Usagi said with a smile.

"Uh... Thanks," Hana stammered, a bit surprised at the blonde's overly friendly attitude.

"Please don't mind Usagi, she trusts everyone easily. Some say it's a birth defect," Rei mused.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you're a weird group."

"Thanks, we try," Hotaru said.

"Alert: Unknown entities detected."

Ami looked at the screen. "One enemy close to Mako's house, and another one... The Tokyo Tower again?"

"Okay, let's split and get them."

"The one at the tower is much stronger," Terry commented.

Hana was blinking at the screen. "You really went full throttle with this base, huh?"

"Guess I did. Want to see us shooting at something other than you?" Terry's smile was a sound effect away from a chuckle.

"Sure, why not. Guess I'll go to the tower." She stopped and looked at the others. "Wait, can you guys get there fast?"

Brad nodded. "Some of us can teleport, so we'll be right there."

* * *

"General, you won't believe this..."

Kino saw the woman seemed really shocked. "Another attack?"

"Yes, but this time, there's a huge gorilla clinging to the Tokyo Tower."

"King Kong?" the General mused.

"Some of my men say it looks just like... Donkey Kong."

"Then you were right, I don't believe it. Are the Senshi aware of it?"

"Some of them were seen near your house. The rest must be heading for the tower."

"Good, we could take that monkey down, but I don't want to wreck the city, or the tower."

* * *

As soon as they appeared, the Senshi were surprised by an unexpected sight. "Huh? Just two wimps?"

Jupiter frowned. "Wait, aren't those two-"

"Double Dragon," Dragon Mercury said. "If they're anything like in the games, then our best bet is to shoot at them from afar."

"Sure, you could do that," one of the men said, "but you could also do the honorable thing."

"Whatever, let's just fry them," Saturn muttered.

"Wait," Dragon Mercury said, "I'll get them."

"He's insane," Saturn commented as the Dragon rushed straight at the two men. She then blinked in shock, they had somehow knocked him away in a split second. "And they seem to be quite good."

"Is that the best you got?"

Dragon Mercury frowned. "Okay, so I won't be able to handle both of them..."

Jupiter and Earth both charged at their foes, and they were both easily knocked away as well. "They're good, no kidding."

"See, Jimmy, I told you the Senshi would be nothing without their flashy attacks."

"Guess you were right, Billy. So, who's next?"

"Time to stop fooling around," Dragon Mercury said, then charged at the two again. His speed was, however, visibly higher than before, and this time it was the two brothers who got punched away by him.

"Hey wait, how could you move like that?" Billy asked.

"It's an ancient ninja technique. It's called 'kicking your ass.'"

"Eh, whatever... Guys, get them!"

A few dozen figures appeared from the buildings around the area. Dragon Mercury smiled. "I was wondering where the rest of the cast was." And he could see everyone was there, the whip girl, the huge guys... If they were as tough as in the game, then this would be a challenge. "Now this looks interes-"

"Grim Wave."

The Dragon blinked a few times as the wave vaporized all his foes. "Hey, why did you do that?"

"They cheated," Saturn said, "and seriously, we should have just blasted them from a distance from the start."

"You're no fun."

"Let's just go see if the others need help."

* * *

Dragon Venus was the first one to comment on the situation as they arrived. "Donkey Kong? Now where's Mario when you need him..."

Moon saw the creature was throwing flaming barrels down from atop the tower, and saw Ail and Ann blasting those barrels to dust with their attacks. "We should get him while he's distracted."

"But if we don't vaporize him on the spot, he'll fall down and wreck the city," Dragon Sun noticed.

"We can't wait for it to notice us, either," Venus said, "remember the saying, the bigger they are, the harder they hit."

Mars shook her head. "The scariest thing about you and your habit is that it sometimes does make sense."

"Huh? What habit?" Venus asked.

Nova had been staring at the creature the whole time. "So, the thing is, if it falls down, it'll wreck something, or someone, right?"

Moon nodded. "Yeah, why do you a-" she turned to their large foe and saw it was slowly floating up, and thoroughly confused. "Whoa, that's awesome."

"Heavy..." Nova muttered, "get him fast, I won't be able to keep that up for long."

"Okay. Moon Twilight Flash!"

The gorilla was blasted to atoms by the attack, and Nova frowned. "That was almost too easy."

"I agree," Mars said, "that Game Master freak is a joke."

"There are videogames which have characters way harder to beat," Mercury lectured. The others stared at her, and she shrugged. "I do play videogames too, you know?"

Nemesis smiled. "I should have tried to get his autograph for Umino."

* * *

Luna and Shade were following someone. Someone the Senshi knew, and someone they could tell had a strange kind of energy within. "You think she's one of them?" Shade asked.

"Judging from what we've seen of her, she could be Lilith."

"If that's the case, then we should tell her. Her powers could be dangerous, even for herself."

Luna saw the girl walk out of an arcade with a huge bag of plushies, and nodded. "Yeah, and she already knows the Senshi."

The girl suddenly stopped and looked up. "If you two were trying to surprise me, you failed."

Luna sighed and leapt off the tree they had been hiding in. "So you know who we are."

"Of course, Moon and Nemesis' cats." A thought cross the girl's mind, but she dismissed it as soon as it had appeared. "Why were you spying on me, anyhow?"

"Truth is, Chie, that we have reasons to believe you may have Senshi powers waiting to be awakened."

Chie stared at the two cats for a few seconds, and then did the only sensible thing she could do. She fainted.

"Guess she took the news well," Shade mused.

* * *

"So, you're leaving?"

Hana smiled at Terry. "I need to go back home, to tell my parents I'm alive. I may stay there and have Nova make a mysterious comeback."

"We could use your help here," Usagi said.

Hana sighed. "As I said before, I need to think about a lot of things, and... Right now I don't trust myself." She looked at Ami as she said that. "I don't want you to hate me, but I still feel-"

"You don't need to explain that," Ami said, "just let us know when you're coming back."

"_If _I'm coming back," Hana corrected. "Goodbye."

Ami noticed Terry's face as Hana vanished. "Are you okay?"

"Compared to how she must be feeling-"

"I'm asking about you, not her," Ami said sternly.

He looked at her for a few seconds before nodding. "I was just thinking about the past. Thinking about the 'what ifs', but there's one thing I realized."

"And what is that?" Ami asked.

"That even if I could, I wouldn't change what happened. It hurt a lot back then, but... It made me who I am now. It let me know a lot of new friends, and also a very special girl."

Ami was quite surprised as he kissed her, but didn't reject it. As they broke the kiss, however, she remembered most of her friends were still there, and blushed deep red.

Usagi smiled. "You two look cute together."

"I'm a bit jealous," Mako said.

"Me too," Rei admitted.

"But you have Yuichiro, don't you?"

Rei stared blankly at Usagi for a few seconds before shrugging. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Usagi smiled. "I've seen the way you look at him, and he's obviously interested, too."

"Hmph, as if I would date someone like him."

"Keep telling yourself that, Rei, and you may end up believing it."

"Ehhh... Just shut it."

"Leave her alone, _Rabbit_," Terry said. "Perhaps she's more interested in one of the girls at her school.

Rei stared at him. "That's funny, because I've been asked out by some of the girls there. It's the 'fun' part of going to an all-girls school."

"I should visit your school, someday," Terry joked.

"Please do, as long as you don't mind having another crowd of fangirls chasing you around the city."

"... Yeah, on second thought, I'll pass."

* * *

**A/N:** Before anyone asks the obvious "will everyone the Senshi meet turn out to be a Senshi?" question, make sure you want to hear the answer.

Just joking. Not every side character will be a Senshi.

... After all, General Kino, Hakko and Doctor Tomoe are too old for that job.


	48. Computers, toads and dinosaurs

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 48: Computers, toads and dinosaurs.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 2, 2013_

* * *

Things were quiet for a couple days, but the Senshi knew better than thinking their foe had given up. Most of them were training, but Terry and Ami were busy with something else.

"You two and your computers..." Minako mused.

"Sorry, but we're almost done with this," Ami said looking away from the console for a second.

"I think it's ready," Terry said.

Ami nodded. "Aiko, are you there?"

"Affirmative," a robotic voice said.

"Aiko?" Mako muttered. "Just what the heck are you up to?"

Terry walked to the center of the room. "Aiko, run virtual self routine."

A figure appeared next to Terry, and everyone could see a few things wrong with it. First off, she wasn't blinking or breathing, and second, the far wall of the base could be seen through her body.

"Eeek, a ghost!" Usagi shouted.

Terry chuckled. "No, that's Aiko. We told you we were improving the base's AI, so..."

Rei stared at the young girl and shook her head. "AI-ko... Nice pun."

"But her looks are a bit weird," Usagi said. Her hair was dark blue, her eyes black, and her face reminded her of... "Like a mix of Ami and Terry's faces."

"So, they built themselves a daughter?" Hotaru asked.

"I was created by both Ami and Terry, so that sentence is technically correct," the girl said.

Kage looked at the girl, then at Hotaru, then laughed.

Hotaru knew exactly what he was laughing at. "Yeah, she sounds like me a while back. Stop laughing or I'll glaive you."

Naru looked at the girl. "So, it controls the scanners, right? What else can it do?"

"I can record your training and replay it on demand, so you can analyze your flaws and improve your-"

Terry frowned. "Aiko, don't do that."

"I can't understand what I did wrong."

"Don't answer questions meant for others, unless you are sure your answer is the most accurate."

"Affirmative."

Ami sighed. "And stop using that word, try using something a bit less... Robotic."

Aiko stared at her for a second before nodding. "Okay."

"Using a hologram to give an AI a 'body,'" Mamoru commented, "that's rather impressive. However, even if she wasn't ghost-like, she wouldn't fool anyone who paid attention to details."

Usagi knew what he meant. "She's not breathing, she doesn't blink, and she just stands there without moving."

"We're still working on making her act more human-like," Terry said, and walked to the console, typing a few commands in it. "We are aiming for a sentient AI, a program with self-awareness, feelings, the kind of quirks that makes humans be human."

Kage saw the girl was breathing and, at seemingly random intervals, blinking. "Cool. Now have her make sarcastic remarks on things the others do, and she'll be just like Hotaru."

"His humor subroutines seem to be broken," Aiko noted.

Rei stared at her. "Was that your way to say his jokes aren't amusing?"

"Yes."

"I think I'll get used to it... To her," Rei mused.

Just then, Yukiko walked in. "Hey guys, what's going- Wait, who's that?"

"Aiko," Usagi said.

"... Right, and who's Aiko?"

"Ami and Terry's daughter," Mako explained.

"Oh," Yukiko looked at the girl and shrugged. "Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you as well," Aiko said in her robotic voice.

The others stared at Yukiko in shock, and she frowned. "What?"

"You're not surprised by what we just told you?" Usagi asked.

"Let's see, I'm in the base of a group of superheroes, who have talking cats, flying boards, and can teleport around the city in a blink. And a week ago, you still had a girl around who was Usagi's daughter, from the future. Moreso, I'm just done killing Q-Bert a few blocks away from here. Ami and Terry having a ghastly daughter? Doesn't quite shock me as much as it should."

"Her logic is flawless," Aiko admitted.

"Wait," Usagi said, "you fought Q-Bert?"

"Yeah."

"... Okay, and who's Q-Bert?" Usagi asked.

Terry gave her a fake terrified look. "You don't know about Q-Bert? I don't think we should be friends anymore, Usagi."

"Joking aside, why didn't binary girl here tell us about it?" Brad asked.

"I detected that entity, but could also sense its extremely low power levels, and that Warwitch was close to it. I estimated it would take her less than one point five minutes to exterminate it. Also, I do not approve of that nickname."

Yukiko blinked at that. "Uhm, yeah, that thing was dead after only one lightning blast. But why is she talking like that?"

"It's the base's AI," Rei explained.

Yukiko giggled. "They made themselves a daughter?"

"I made that joke already," Hotaru commented.

"What did you come here for, Yuki?" Usagi asked.

"I... Was wondering if that guy was here. Hakko, I think that's his name, right?"

"Oh no, she got tired of us and found a new idol to follow," Kage joked.

Yukiko shrugged. "Being honest to myself, I suck at melee. I was hoping he would train me-"

"Oh, he will, as long as you pay him the usual billion dollars fee," Terry joked. He then noticed Yukiko staring at him in shock. "Joking. But he's out of town right now, so perhaps I could help you until he comes back."

"Out of town?" Usagi asked. "What is he doing?"

Terry shrugged. "He didn't say, and I know him enough not to ask. He could be doing something related to the Demon Hunters, or he could have gone hunting sharks with his bare hands."

"I know that last bit is a joke," Mako noted, "but I wouldn't be surprised if he actually did that."

Yukiko smiled. "Oh well, I get to be kicked around by one of the Senshi, and I may learn something, too. It's a win-win situation for me."

* * *

Game Master looked at his newest summons. Three of them were staring blankly at him, while the two other creatures were just blowing bubbles at him. He was sure they all looked way cooler inside their own games. "My minions, I will now tell you about your mission."

"Mission..." the tallest of the bunch droned.

"You three will go and attack Sailor Mars at her house. In the meantime, the two dinos will go and create a distraction for the Senshi."

"Senshi..."

The blue dinosaur simply blew a bubble at him.

"Go and destroy the Senshi!" As his minions vanished, Game Master shook his head, then decided to use his time for something far more productive. "Time to play some Tetris." He froze for a second, then laughed evily. "Of course, Tetris! Why didn't I think of that before?"

* * *

Rei was back at the shrine, meditating in front of the sacred fire. She had only seen one image, but it was bad enough. She could see thousands of creatures attacking the city, and she recognized some of them from videogames. Did that mean Game Master was a real threat?

"Rei, I think you should come outside."

That was her grandfather, and his tone was dead serious. "What's wrong, gran-" she stopped as walked out, and saw just what was wrong. Three humanoid toads, looking around. She was quite sure she was what they were looking for, but she didn't remember these guys from any of the videogames she had played.

"I will protect you, Miss Rei!"

Yuichiro came running from the side, with a broom as his only weapon. He tried to hit the three toads, but one of them somehow had its hand grow in size until it was as big as him, then punched him away.

"Yuichiro!" Rei frowned. She couldn't just transform with Yuichiro there, but if she didn't do something, then he would get hurt. She dashed back into the building, and sighed. "No, if Mars walks out, he'll figure it out." She then smiled. "Of course..." Her bow appeared in her hands, along with a quiver full of plain metal arrows. "Guess I was right to keep these around."

Yuichiro was about done staggering up, when he saw the three toads be hit by arrows. He looked at Rei, who was holding a red bow, and smiled. "Good thinking, Miss Rei."

"Stand back, I'll take care of them."

"I think they may be too tough for us," Hino said.

The tallest toad saw Rei shooting another arrow, and used its feet (which grew as big as a car) to kick it away. "Senshi not here..."

"Yeah, we should stop playing with these weaklings," the second toad said.

Yuichiro walked past Rei and then stopped, turning to smile at her. "They're looking for the Senshi, so why keep them waiting?"

"Wha... What do you mean?"

"I've known for a while, Sailor Mars," Yuichiro said, "but don't worry, I won't tell anyone about you and your friends."

Rei nodded. "Okay, I guess I'll have to trust you." She turned to the toads. "You won't leave this place, froggies. Mars Twilight Power!"

"Senshi..."

"Yeah, that chick was one of them! Let's get her!"

Mars smirked. "You're toast. Flame Sniper!"

The big toad saw one of his friends be pierced through by the flame arrow, and glared at Mars. "Senshi kill friend, so I kill Senshi."

Mars had been about to shoot another arrow, but she saw the toad's hand grow in size (larger than before, if that was even possible) as he rushed at her, and froze for a second.

"Rei, watch out!"

Mars felt something pushing her aside, and knew what had happened instantly. She saw Yuichiro fly back and through the temple's wall, and paled. "Yuu!"

"Senshi next..."

"Not our fault that dumb guy wanted to get beaten," the other toad snapped.

Mars glared at the two toads. "That's it, I'm really going to toast you now. Mars Star Power!"

Hino smiled. "So that's how they power up, huh?"

Mars was already gathering fire as her transformation ended. "Mars... Fire..." She rose both hands, then started spinning as fire spread through all her body. She then stopped, and the fire shoot out as a spinning cone of flames. "... Tornado!"

"Holy crap!"

"Crap..."

Hino flinched as the two toads were wrapped in flames, and there was nothing left of them when the attack ended. "That was quite impressive, Mars."

Mars nodded, then rushed to the temple. She stopped as she saw Yuichiro limping out of it. "Yuu, are you okay?"

"I'll live," Yuichiro said, then noticed something. "'Yuu'?"

"I was worried, you fool!" Mars said. "I'm a lot tougher than a normal human in this form, so you shouldn't risk yourself-"

"I don't want to see you get hurt, Miss Rei."

Mars sighed. "Drop the 'Miss,' please."

"Only if you keep calling me Yuu."

"Fair enough," Mars said, then turned back to normal.

"Love's in the air," Hino said as he walked into the temple, "sorry if I don't stay and chat, but I'll call someone to fix that wall."

Yuichiro noticed Rei was blushing beet red. "I'm just glad that you're okay," he said, then walked back into the building as well.

Rei turned to look up at the cloudy sky. Love? Was that what she felt for him? He had been around for a while, and always covered for her when she had to leave, even though she never explained what she was doing to him. And even if it was a foolish thing to do, she was surprised by his actions from minutes earlier. But it was a pleasant surprise.

No, not yet... She wasn't ready yet, she wasn't sure yet, but perhaps soon she would figure out what she felt.

* * *

Emi, Maria and Aki were looking at the cityscape from atop a building. "I'm surprised we survived that training."

Aki smiled at Maria. "Me too. Remember when we first met?"

Maria frowned. "Yeah, I tried to cast a high-level fire spell, and burnt a bit of your hair off."

Emi laughed. "You two were bickering constantly after that. For a while I thought you hated each other, but then I figured what was really going on..."

"We've come a long way from there, huh?"

"Have you two heard the news, though? Videogame characters attacking the city, sounds quite crazy."

"Summoning an imaginary being is nothing new," Emi admitted, "but autonomous summons, that's something else."

Maria looked down and smiled. _"Well I'll be damned,"_ she said in Spanish. "Look down there, I think I know those two."

"Bub and Bob?" Aki exclaimed. "Come on, two bubble-spitting dinosaurs, that's the dangerous enemy of the day?"

"Let's get them."

The three leapt off the roof, transforming as they floated down. "We're extremely sorry, but this is a no-dinosaur area."

The two small dinosaurs looked at the newcomers and smiled, then started blowing out bubbles from their mouth. The three Hunters jumped out of the way, and Calisto decided to try her new tricks. "Freya's Breath."

Bub stared at the large cloud of icy mist coming his way, then blew a bubble, wrapping it all with it.

"Oh right, that's what they do," Mira muttered. "Odin's Storm."

Bob used the same trick as Bub, and the lightning blast was also trapped.

Circe saw the bubbles slowly floating her way, and frowned. "This is just dumb, what-"

"Aki, move!" Calisto shouted.

Mira tried to knock Circe out of the way, but the bubbles broke as she run close, and the lightning and mist hit them both. "That was pathetic." And painful, she added mentally.

Bub and Bob run to them, blowing a few bubbles, and both Circe and Mira were trapped within them.

"Damn! Girls, are you okay?"

Mira looked at Calisto. "Yeah, not counting the fact I'm trapped inside a sphere of... Dinosaur spit. Gross." She tried to punch the wall, and yelped. "Crap, like punching a steel wall."

Calisto sighed. So, the two creatures could stop ranged spells. Perhaps it was time to try a more direct approach. "Icarus' Wing!" That spell was no attack, but it boosted her speed greatly. She used said speed to dash to one of the dinosaurs, hitting it with a barrage of kicks and punches before knocking it up to the air. "Poseidon's Lance."

This time, a large, watery spear appeared right above Bub, piercing through it before it could react. Bob growled at Calisto and started shooting bubbles at her, but her speed was now too much for it. Calisto punched it into a wall, and the dinosaur looked at her with its tiny eyes.

"Aww, you're almost too cute to kill," Calisto noted, then shrugged. "Almost. Ifrit's Touch."

Mira and Circe walked to Calisto as the bubbles around them vanished. "That was good, Maria."

"Bravo, that was certainly impressive, for a bunch of sidekicks."

Circe looked up at the man. "Huh? Rockman?"

"I'm Game Master, and I'm the one behind these attacks."

"Are you here to fight us?"

"Not really, just wanted to see if you weak sidekicks had improved at all."

Circe glared at him. "Loki's Trick."

Game Master was confused for a second, as no attack came from Circe, but was able to sense the swords coming at him from behind, and just in time to dodge them. "I don't want to fight you yet, kids, but I can still give you a show of my true power."

Calisto shrugged. "What are you going to do, sic Tapper at us?"

Game Master's smile turned devious. "Did you know there are Dragon Ball games?"

Mira realized what he meant and acted quickly. "Gaia's Tower!"

Game Master's large, yellow energy beam punched through the large wall of stone, knocking the three Hunters half a block. "As expected, you're no challenge for me yet."

Circe staggered up slowly. "Where did that jerk get magic like that?"

"No idea, but I'll be ready for him next time," Mira said. She then looked at Circe. "Why use something that weak, though?"

"He'll think that's our best," Circe explained. "He'll underestimate us, and that could be what we need to beat him."

* * *

**A/N:** It is my humble opinion that every group of superheroes should have a sentient computer/robot/cyborg/automaton. Of course Aiko's not quite sentient yet, but she will be, eventually.

And I think the Senshi will be quite puzzled by Game Master's next scheme.


	49. How many Omega does it take

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 49: How many Omega does it take...**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 3, 2013_

* * *

Hana looked down from the building she was standing on. Terry's house in Tokyo was almost as large as the one back in the States. She had spent the last week back home, but even though she was glad to see her parents again, she soon realized she couldn't go back to her old life. Not just because Terry would be a continent away, but because Hana Thompson was dead. Her family and many people close to them saw her lifeless body (her former body, Hana thought with a wince,) so she couldn't miraclously be alive again without raising too many questions.

And she didn't want to stay there. She would go visit her parents whenever she could, she had promised them that, but even if he was no longer with her, she still was drawn close to him. So she would start a new life in Japan, with a new name.

"Are you planning to stay up there all day, or will you come on in?"

Hana looked down to see Terry standing in the yard. "I think I'll pass."

"Huh? Why?"

"Don't want Ami to get jealous," Hana noted.

"But she's here too, she's the one who detected you," Terry admitted.

"Still, I think I would be intruding." She looked at him and sighed. "Hey, is that school you go to a good one?"

"Sure is," Terry said, "why?"

"I was planning on entering school. I'll have to study hard to make up for the year I missed, but I think I can do it."

"So, I'll have a certain miss Thompson as a classmate soon?"

Hana smiled slyly at him. "Who knows?"

* * *

"Starting today, we have a new student in our group. Why don't you introduce yourself?"

Usagi looked at the girl standing next to Haruna. "Eh, she's back?"

"My name is Hana Niwasaki, nice to meet you."

Terry had to stop himself from laughing at the pun in that name. "Hi."

Hana walked to her seat (which was close to Terry's,) and nodded. "I think this will be fun."

Terry noticed Umino was staring at Hana. "Hey, won't Naru be jealous?"

"It's not like we're dating," Umino said "and I'm just trying to figure this girl out. I have no information on her."

"Good," Hana said, not sure she wanted that guy to know too much about her.

"Don't worry, she's not an evil alien queen or anything," Terry said, "she's a childhood friend of mine."

"Oh, guess that's good enough."

"Don't mind Umino. He's been that weird since he was a kid," Usagi said.

* * *

Later that day, Hana appeared in the base, but saw there were few Senshi there. "Taking a day off from training, huh?"

Ami nodded at that. "So, what brings you here?"

"I thought Terry would be here, actually." Hana looked at Aiko. "... Okay, I just have to ask, who's that?"

"Aiko. That's just a hologram, though, she's the base's AI."

"I suppose that's Terry's idea."

Ami smiled. "I helped him with that, too." She noticed Hana looking down, and sighed. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine." She hoped Ami wouldn't insist, because she still felt a bit of jealousy, even anger, when she thought about all she had lost thanks to the youma. Knowing the youma were dust in the wind now didn't make her feel any better, either.

"So, why the name change?"

"I don't want anyone to recognize the name Thompson. So the story is, I'm Hana Niwasaki, was adopted by a wealthy Japanese couple when I was a baby, a couple which, conveniently, died in a plane crash a couple years ago. I'm living on my own in a small appartment close to our school."

Hotaru had, along with Usagi, been listening to them, but decided to speak her mind. "Are you sure you want to be here, and not with your family?"

Hana sighed. "It's not quite about what I want, but about what I can do. Hana Thompson has been dead for one year, I can't magically go back without raising many questions I would not be able to answer."

"If you need help with anything..."

She looked at Usagi. "I'll be fine. I said it's not about what I want, but... I want to be here, too. Terry was my best friend, my only friend."

"Just because Hana Thompson didn't have many friends, it doesn't mean Hana Niwasaki has to be the same way," Usagi noted.

"Are you saying you would want to be my friend too?" Hana asked.

"She befriended me," Hotaru said, "so she could befriend anyone."

Just then, three more figures appeared in the room. They immediately noticed two girls they didn't know about. "Hey, who's-"

"This is Hana," Usagi said, "and the see-through kid is Aiko."

Emi looked at Hana. "I think I've seen you before..." She then realized where she had heard that name before. "Hana? Wasn't that the name of Terry's-" she stared at Hana in shock. "No way."

"I was brought back by an enemy of the Senshi, and they altered my memories, so I attacked them. They made me see I was wrong, though, so I've decided to stay here and help them."

Usagi realized something. "Do you know who sent you here?"

Hana nodded. "A guy called Onara, he had an ally but didn't tell me her name."

"Onara," Ami said, "the guy who built the Omega."

"So you know him," Hana said. "He and his ally left the city shortly after I left their base. I've already gone back there, and all that's left is an empty building."

Ami was using her visor to scan the three Hunters. "This is quite impressive."

"What is?" Usagi asked.

"They have as much power as you, me or Rei. Their attacks should be as strong as a Star level Senshi."

Hotaru nodded. "Kage told me about that. That's the limit of a Demon Hunter's training."

"We'll keep on training on our own," Aki said.

"So, does that mean you're as strong as the Primes?" Hotaru asked.

"Not quite. Ares and the others have all trained on their own, created attacks of their own. We still have a bit to go before we can compare to them."

Hana smiled. "I had heard about some strong magicians who aren't Senshi."

Emi smiled. "You could say that." She closed her eyes, and lightning, fire, ice and dark bolts started circling her.

Maria smiled. "That's Emi for you, always showing off."

"Uh, not true," Emi said as the bolts vanished. "And the more elements we use at once, the weaker each attack will be. That's why we try to stick to one element."

Maria was staring at Aiko. "What's the deal with that?"

"Make a guess," Hotaru said.

"... The Ghost of Christmas Past?"

Aiko looked at her. "That's incorrect, although the humor quotient of that joke is slightly better than average."

Maria turned to Ami. "Somehow, I think she sounds like a computer. Tell me she's not a computer."

"Technically, she's just the AI running this base," Ami admitted.

"Oh, that is... Something else."

"She's not going to go haywire and try taking over the world, right?"

"The effort involved in such an endeavour would most likely not be compensated by the benefits I would get," Aiko said.

"Good," Maria muttered, "I think."

The 'computer girl' looked up. "I'm detecting at least a dozen entities out there, and they're closing in."

"Can you identify them?"

"Their data matches that of the entity known as Omega."

"A dozen of those things?" Usagi said. "That's going to be tough."

"Correction, two dozens," Aiko added.

"We need to call the others," Hotaru said.

Aiko looked at her. "Already done."

Ami smiled as her friends looked at her. "That's one of her functions. She'll alert us about enemy attacks when we're not here or wherever the enemy is."

Hana flinched. "Onara must know I'm not on his side anymore. Are these Omega strong?"

"They are cyborgs, created with our DNA, and they can use our powers."

"Sounds fun, I'll join in," Hana said.

* * *

When they run out of the dojo, they realized the rest of the group was already there, and that the cyborgs were waiting. "Damn, looks like the Omega-con started earlier this year," Dragon Mercury commented.

"We are here to eliminate the Senshi. Those who are not Senshi are free to leave the area."

Nova smirked as a couple psi blasts knocked the Omega who had said that back a few meters. "I'll have to pass on that offer."

"If you insist on staying, you will die along with the Senshi."

Nova frowned. "Nobody will die, Eddie."

"Eddie?"

"Nevermind," Nova said, and the blast she shot this time knocked the robot away.

"So, there's technically two of those things for each of us," Mars commented.

"Sounds like a challenge," Dragon Venus said.

"Should we show off?"

Circe looked at Mira. "Damn, why do you insist on running out of power before the fight starts?"

Calisto smiled. "But this is what we trained for. Let's show them our new tricks. Burning Glyph."

"Frozen Glyph."

"Poison Glyph."

Large, shining marks appeared under three of the cyborgs. One was red, and the cyborg was suddenly wrapped by white flames. The second was blue, and its target was trapped in an ice pillar. The last one was purple, and a foul-looking gas surrounded its target, causing it to fall to the ground, dead.

"Correction," Mercury said, "they're slightly above our level."

"Go us," Calisto muttered as she staggered back, "we burn out all of our mana to do that."

Warwitch smiled. "I'm not going to let you get all the fun." She reached her hand up, fire and ice gathering above it, and the resulting ball of energy then swiftly turned into a large lance, its color shifting from blue to red and back. "Witch Shot." The blast turned two of the robots to dust, but Warwitch was kneeling on the ground as it ended.

Moon stared at Warwitch in shock. "That was awesome!"

"There's still many bugs left," Earth commented, "but we'll take care of them."

Moon nodded, but she wasn't so sure about that. No, she couldn't give up even before the fight started, that was not her way of fighting. "Moonlight Flash!" Four of the cyborgs were blown to dust, and Moon gasped. "Whoa, I didn't think-"

"While their offensive abilities may improve with time," Mercury lectured, "their defense is always the same. The Zero is a strong alloy, but far from unbreakable for us. Everyone, Twilight levels should be enough to take care of these bugs. Use your weapons to conserve energy, shoot only when you're sure you'll hit your mark."

Moon flinched as she looked at the small army of robots. Ami was good at planning, that was obvious. But this battle would require more than a good plan to be won. She hated this, she knew her friends might get hurt, or worse, and the battle itself was pointless. What was Onara really after? Were these creatures a part of a bigger plan, or did he just found it fun to send them out to fight them?

She had no time to think about that right now, however. She would just have to make sure nobody got hurt in this battle.

* * *

"General, the Senshi are fighting a group of robots close to their base."

"What's the situation?"

Saiko was talking to him through a screen, since she was close to the battle. "The enemy's numbers have dropped to about half in just a few minutes, but the Senshi seem to be tiring down."

Tomoe, who was standing next to Kino, nodded. "Those creatures are called the Omega, and are apparently able to copy Senshi techniques and use them against them." Kino frowned. "Keep me informed, but don't try to help them. If they can really use Senshi attacks, then they could kill normal humans easily."

Saiko nodded. "Of course, sir. I don't have a death wish."

* * *

Nova used her senses to scan the battle, and saw things weren't looking good. Ten Omega left, but only Moon, Mars and Mercury were still up and fighting. The others were either too tired to fight, or had been injured. Saturn was apparently the group's healer, but even with her healing those who got hurt, the battle still seemed to be one they could lose.

Mars and Mercury had stopped using magic attacks, which meant they were also tiring down. Nova herself was starting to feel the effects of exhaustion, but... She looked at Moon. She should be as tired as the others. No, she should be already resting, like the others, but the girl kept fighting, using weak magic attacks and her weapons, even though the Omega didn't seem to be affected by either. Where did she get the drive to keep fighting from?

"Oh, screw this!" Mars suddenly shouted. "Mars Flame..." She held onto the fire arrow for longer than ever, leaping back in order to avoid a light blast from one of the Omega. She then smiled as she let the arrow fly. "... Sniper!" The blast destroyed one of the Omega, but Mars fell on her back. "Damn it, not now."

Mercury sighed. "We have to finish them, even if we run out of energy. Frozen Rage!"

Nova winced as she saw that attack. It turned one of the Omega into an ice statue, and Nova saw Mercury punch the cyborg, causing it to explode in a million pieces. She then saw Mercury kneel on the ground, and sighed. She was busy fighting three of the cyborgs, so she had to trust Moon would take care of the rest.

"Moonlight Flash!" Moon's attack blew three of the creatures to dust. "Moonlight Fl-" Moon staggered back. "Damn it, not now! Moonlight-" This time, she screamed in pain.

"Moon, don't force it!" Mars said.

"But Nova can't fight them alone!"

Nova looked at Moon. The Senshi had done all they could, but there were still five cyborgs left, and two of them were heading for Moon. "Oh no, you won't!" Nova snapped, and unleashed a massive wave of psichic energy. It blasted two of the creatures to pieces. The other three, however, decided Nova was the biggest threat for their mission. It would have been good, if not for Nova also being out of energy.

"Eliminating target," one of the Omega said and rose its hand.

"Nova, no!" Moon staggered up, but then flinched. She couldn't use any more attacks, not even her weakest one. "Someone get that thing!"

"Double Flight."

Nova prepared to use what little energy she had left to put up a barrier (even though she knew that would be pointless,) but then gasped. The discs's trajectory was off, how-

Mercury was wondering the same thing. "The Omega missed?" she asked in shock as the discs flew past Nova without touching her.

"That would be my fault."

Everyone saw a new figure standing on a rooftop. She was wearing a Senshi outfit, and her bows, boots, glove and neckline were brown. "Unknown Senshi found."

"I'll agree with the robot," Dragon Venus said. "Who the heck are you?"

The girl leapt off the rooftop, landing amidst the cyborgs. "I'm Sailor Lilith."

"There's a planet Lilith?"

The Omega all rose their arms. "Threat levels unknown. Eliminating objective. Burning Soul."

"Supreme Thunder."

"Twilight Beam."

Lilith simply stood there as the attacks shot at her, then smiled as the three missed her completely. Two of the Omega were hit dead on by them, and the third's arm was ripped off by the fire blast. "Oops."

"Shit, she's either impossibly lucky, or..." Dragon Mercury started.

"Luck's a bitch," Lilith said, "but it's _my _bitch."

The remaining Omega didn't seem to be impressed (not that it could have been impressed to begin with, as such a thing wasn't in its code,) and simply decided to try a different approach. Lilith dodged as the cyborg tried to punch her down, but then tripped on a piece of debris, and fell on her back. "Eliminating target," the Omega said as its hand lit up.

"Not today!"

Nova blinked in awe. The Senshi had all used their weapons against the cyborg, and it had been taken completely off-guard. Moreso, Saturn's glaive had cut off its remaining arm, so it had no way to attack, or defend itself. It was quite aware of it, so it decided to use a strategic retreat. "Damage levels critical, aborting mission."

"Like hell you will!" The others gasped as Jupiter rushed at the cyborg, punching with all her remaining strength, and they saw her fist come out of the creature's back. Jupiter noticed the cyborg's body cracking and flinched. "This is going to hurt," she muttered before the cyborg exploded.

Nova caught Jupiter as she was sent flying back. "That's some mighty punch you have."

Moon walked to Lilith. "Who are you?"

Instead of replying, Lilith walked up to Earth. "I suppose now you won't have any complaints about me training for battle, right?"

Earth looked at her in confusion for a few seconds, then smiled. "Chie?"

"That's me."

"Wait, since when are you-"

"A week ago, the kitties told me they had sensed Senshi powers in me. I've trained my powers with a certain lady in green, and she thought I was ready for battle."

"But you didn't use any attacks..." Moon commented.

Mercury had been typing in her computer ever since the battle ended, and smiled. "Sailor Lilith, the Senshi of luck and illusion."

"Luck?" Nova repeated. "Oh, so that's how that attack missed me, and how you got the robots to hit themselves."

"Yeah, but it has a drawback," Lilith explained. "You saw it yourselves."

Mercury was still reading her computer's database. "Luck works both ways, and the more Lilith uses her powers, the more she risks having bad luck strike her. I guess that's why she tripped and fell."

Earth smirked. "Nah, that's just her, she's quite clumsy."

"Eeeh... Shut up," Lilith snapped.

"Make me," Earth teased.

"Okay."

Warwitch blinked as Lilith kissed Earth, who didn't seem to protest. "Uh, I thought those two were just friends."

"Yeah, that's just a friendly kiss," Mars joked. And unlike others, these two didn't seem to mind having witnesses.

Earth finally broke the kiss and smiled at Lilith. "You know, you really looked awesome, making a fool of those robots."

"Thanks, I try," Lilith said.

Moon frowned. "I still don't get it. Luck, that's all she can control?"

Dragon Mercury looked at her. "We've been saved by luck in the past. And being able to control it directly... I think she could have her foe 'accidentally' fall into their own blade and kill themselves."

"Oh, that..." Moon's eyes widened. "But wait, what about illusions?"

Lilith smiled, and suddenly another Lilith appeared besides her. "Does this answer your question?"

"That could be useful in battle," Dragon Mercury admitted.

"Let's go back in, the Mooncats are already there," Lilith said, "and they know a lot more about these powers than I do."

* * *

**A/N:** 'Niwasaki' means literally 'in the garden,' but could be also read as 'garden.' And you thought I was running out of name puns...

This battle ended differently in Cyber Moon, but hey, I did say some things were going to go different in this one. Adding illusions to Lilith's skills won't make her broken, but that's going to be explained better in the next chapter.


	50. Puzzled

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 50: Puzzled.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 6, 2013_

* * *

"I simply don't believe it, the Senshi could defeat the Omega that easily?"

"We should start paying attention to their allies," Onara said calmly. "These three Demon Hunters were stronger than I anticipated, and Warwitch's power seems to be steadily growing as well. Nova has sided with them as well, so it's best for us to keep a low profile for the time being."

"I'm not a patient man," Rubeus noted, "but I'm also no fool. The Senshi are too strong for me now."

"We will find a way," A said from the shadows, "no warrior is invincible. Unfortunately, that applies to us as well."

* * *

As soon as they entered the room, Usagi walked up to Luna. "Hey, why didn't you tell me about Chie?"

"You didn't ask," Luna said, ignoring Usagi's subsequent glare.

"So, what's the deal with her powers?" Karin asked. "And is there even a planet Lilith, because I don't remember hearing about it before."

"Lilith was the fifth planet, in the times before the Golden Imperium," Shade explained.

"Cool, what's the Golden Imperium?"

"An era before Silver Milenium, a time without Senshi."

"So a planet used to be between Mars and Jupiter," Terry said. "Wait, that's where the asteroid belt-"

"That's what's left of Lilith."

"Then how can she still be using its powers?" Rei asked.

"Senshi powers are a mystery even to those who spent a lifetime researching them," Artemis explained, "but her powers are, as you could see, dangerous."

"I can't depend on luck," Chie said, "as the universe needs to balance things out."

"Yeah, but if something happens in a battle, then-"

"Bad things could happen to her outside the battlefield, too," Shade explained. "And there's no better example of this than the asteroid belt."

"What, did the Lilith from that time accidentally blew up her world?"

"I only remember legends I read," Luna said, "but some sort of disease started spreading through the planet. It was a deadly disease, created through magic, and the Senshi knew there were chances of it spreading to other worlds, infecting every human being in the system. They didn't have time to develop a cure, so Lilith, who had already been infected, chose to deal with it her own way."

Minako looked at Luna. "I hope you're not implying that Lilith-"

"Legends speak of a broken woman, who had seen her husband and her daughter fall to the disease. She didn't want other worlds to suffer the same fate hers had, and... Perhaps she knew she wouldn't survive the explosion of a planet."

Usagi was shocked. "Destroying a whole world? That's terrible!"

"Even Senshi can make mistakes," Artemis said, "but in Lilith's case, I think her mistake was using her powers without restraint. That started the legend of Lilith's powers being cursed, and the second Lilith didn't heed those words. From what we know, she was killed by a 'lucky shot' fighting against enemies she shouldn't have any trouble fighting against."

"Pluto told me all that already," Chie admitted, "which is why I'm not going to abuse that side of my skills."

"The other side isn't to be abused, either," Luna said, "The better the illusion, the more it will drain your energy, so you won't be able to keep those illusions up for long."

"In short, you'll need to have other means to fight," Terry guessed, "which means you'll have to train your melee skills."

"She could use a weapon, too," Karin noted.

Terry smiled slyly. "Yeah, she could," he said before tossing a small black cube at Chie.

"Huh? What's-"

"That's your weapon," Terry explained. "You can give it whichever shape you like."

Karin stared at Terry as a couple daggers appeared in Chie's hands. "Wait, how the heck did you have one ready for her?"

"I have several more ready," Terry noted, "I thought about that after realizing there could be two Senshi for each planet. Which reminds me..." And with that, he tossed several cubes to the Senshi who didn't have one of those weapons yet. "Have fun."

Usagi looked at Hana. She was the only 'sidekick' who had decided to return to the base along with them. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just... I guess I hadn't realized how serious your job is. How do you keep fighting without breaking down?"

"I don't know, I just know if we don't do it, then nobody else will."

"I take it the 'bosses' you fight are strong?"

"First one wanted to take over the Earth and exterminate all humans," Mako explained.

"Wow, not one for subtlety."

Rei smirked at that. "Well, our last foe wanted to destroy life itself, to exterminate all life in the universe, even if that meant changing history itself."

Hana grimaced. "That sounds dangerous." She looked at the few who were now checking their new weapons. Hotaru was holding a net, Kage had a handgun, Mamoru had a shield (fitting choice, considering his name,) Terry had...

He noticed her staring at him and smiled. "What?"

"Nothing, I just didn't think bombs would be your weapon of choice."

"I've used gas bombs before," Terry admitted, "and this way I won't have to make new ones whenever I use them."

"So, they're just like your old bombs?" Usagi asked.

"No, these will use ice magic, so they'll be freezing bombs, so to speak."

The strangest of all was Brad, however. Minako was right now staring at him in confusion, as he held a thick book. "What's wrong, Mina?"

She looked at him. "Come on, Brad... A book?"

"I can use it to 'store' spells for later use," Brad explained, "and also..." He tossed it at Minako.

Minako dodged the flying book and glared at him. "Hey!"

"I just wanted to illustrate its other use to you."

Ami walked to Kage, and looked at his weapon of choice. "A gun?"

Kage smiled as Ami examined it. "I know how to use one, so I thought I could try combining my magic with them."

Terry smiled. "Guys, watch out, Ami's got a gun."

The others all stared at him confusedly, except for Hana and Brad, who laughed at the pun.

"I estimate that if the input of horrible jokes continues like this, my humor sub-routines will be overloaded in one week, at most."

Usagi looked at Aiko. "You should do something about her speech, it's too..."

"Robotic," Aiko said.

"She speaks like a robot and has no feelings. She could be a good politician," Brad commented.

"Shutting down audio feed," Aiko said in her usual monotone.

"Everyone's a critic," Brad muttered.

* * *

"I've waited long enough. It is time to unveil my greatest plan ever!" Game Master said, then started laughing evily.

There was a knock on the room's door, and Game Master stopped laughing. "Dear, are you okay?"

"Uhm, yes, mom, I was just remembering a funny joke they told me at school today."

Game Master's mother sighed. "I sometimes worry about him."

"Let him be," his father said, "it's not like he's trying to destroy the city, or anything like that."

* * *

Terry had decided to train. Well, it wasn't quite like training to him, but helping the others was still good practice. He smiled as Ami fell to her knees, panting. "You're a lot better than when we started sparring."

Hana had been watching them, and was quite surprised. Ami wasn't an outstanding melee fighter, but was good enough to keep up with Terry. True, Terry was holding back, as usual, but from what she heard, they had improved that much in only a few months.

Terry looked to the side and saw Usagi tossing her chakrams and recalling them. He saw she was breathing heavily, and sighed. "_Rabbit, _you should transform, remember they're quite heavy."

Usagi looked at him, then chuckled. "And you're the combat expert?"

He frowned at that. "Hey, now..."

Ami smiled. "He has his dumb blonde moments." Before Terry could say anything, she smiled. "I know what she's doing. If she gets used to their weight in her normal form, they'll be a lot easier to handle in her Senshi form."

Terry looked at her, then at Usagi, then slapped his forehead. "I didn't think of that." He smiled at Usagi. "That's good, Usagi, being able to find ways to improve on your own is the mark of a good warrior."

Usagi smiled, then her face turned serious. "Now that you mention it, I had this crazy idea a while back..."

Terry stared at her. "I'm listening."

"What the Demon Hunters do, that 'Spell Fusion' thing. Would there be a way for us to do the same?"

Terry looked at Ami, who giggled, then turned back to Usagi. "You weren't the only one who got curious about it."

"What do you-"

"Mercury Star Power!"

"Mercury Twilight Power!"

"I guess they like the 'show, don't tell' method better," Hana mused as Usagi waited.

"That's right," Mercury said. "Now to answer your question, Usagi. Mercury..." Mercury's hands filled with ice, and she started spinning, those were the same motions she went through for her Frozen Rage attack.

Dragon Mercury smiled as his two swords were blurred by a veil of ice shards. "... Blizzard..."

"What the heck are they doing?" Rei said, stopping her own training for a second. The others all noticed the two Mercuries and decided to watch their demonstration.

Mercury didn't seem worried when Dragon Mercury run to her, and he seemed ready to stab her through, but Mercury's spinning matched the Dragon's speed perfectly, and she grabbed both swords by the blades, stopping as the ice in her hands all flowed into them. "... Fangs!"

Usagi stared at the attack in a mixture of shock and awe. Mercury had tossed both swords forwards, and the weapons had left a trail of mist behind. But that wasn't as impressive as what happened when they hit the far wall of the room. They dug into it, covering it with a rather large patch of ice.

"Holy mother of combos," Kage muttered.

"Wait, why didn't you tell us anything about that?" Karin asked.

"We didn't want to say a thing until we had perfected it," Mercury said.

"How did you think of such an attack, though?" Mamoru asked.

"It... Well, we both saw it in our minds when we started thinking about how to combine our magic attacks. Being able to even start the spell was much tougher, and getting the timing for it right was-"

Dragon Mercury smiled as he recalled his swords. "We've been working on this when we had some free time, but it's been almost one month since we started training for it."

"No offense, but one month just to pull a fancy trick-" Minako started.

Aiko interrupted Minako. "The power of that combined attack was nearly three times stronger than Mercury's strongest attack."

"But it's just adding one Twilight attack to her Star attack," Minako noticed.

"I don't think linear math applies to Senshi powers," Brad mused.

Minako looked at him. "I think we should try something like that."

Mercury nodded. "We don't know what kind of attacks or techniques could be discovered this way. They don't need the Senshi doing them to have the same element, either, from what little we know."

"But wait, did the old Senshi have these techniques? I don't remember using them in our past lives," Mako noticed.

"I do remember," Usagi said, looking at Rei and Mercury, and both of them nodded.

"Starlight Stream Storm," Rei said. Still, even thinking about it, she couldn't remember exactly how to use it, "we used it to beat Hissatsu in our past life."

The Dragon looked at Mako. "We asked Luna about that, and she said that each Senshi has different techniques, they depend on the Senshi's personality and, uhm, situation. For example, there were Moon Senshi who were unforgiving and, some would say, cold-blooded. But they had to be like that in order to defeat their foes."

"I don't think being like that-"

Mercury smiled at Usagi. "We know. That's exactly what we mean, you're a Moon Senshi, but that doesn't mean you'll be any of the Moon Senshi before you."

Usagi nodded. "I get it. So we could try finding new combined attacks."

Aiko looked up. "That will have to wait. There are strange energy readings out there."

"'Out there?'" Hotaru asked.

"Sorry, they're in several places around the city."

"Can you tell us what they are?"

"I can only scan the ones closest to us. They appear to be Tetris pieces."

Rei stared at Aiko in disbelief. "Seriously, what kind of a threat could Tetris pieces be?"

"From what my scanners tell me, they are several meters wide, and as heavy as a bus."

"Yeah, that sounds like a threat," Chie mused. "Let's get them."

"Guys, let's split and check all the areas. Aiko, contact the Huntresses, and give us a list of all the places under attack."

Hana smiled. "I can see she's quite a good leader when she needs to."

Dragon Mercury nodded. "Yeah, but I wouldn't want her to stop being how she normally is."

* * *

Mira smiled as she looked at the small screen. It was quite a surprise when Luna gave those communicators to them, but apparently Usagi wanted them to have them. "I know what you're calling us for, Aiko," she said, a part of her mind not sure how she should talk to a computer. "We're seeing them, but my brain refuses to acknowledge the fact there's three huge red balls bouncing around and crushing things."

"The Senshi should be there shortly, but there's other places under attack," Aiko explained.

"More of these balls?"

"No, it's not just Pang, there's also Arkanoid and Tetris."

"You're joking."

"A sense of humor is not part of my programming, therefore I am unable to joke," Aiko noted.

"Right," Mira muttered. "Okay, we'll try stopping those things from crushing civilians."

Circe looked up. "Seriously, they're just metal balls."

"Wait, don't-" Calisto started.

"Firelash."

Calisto sighed as one of the balls split in two smaller balls after being hit by Circe's fire blast. "-attack them yet."

"What the heck's that?" Circe muttered.

"You never played Pang, huh?" Calisto mused.

Just then, some of the Senshi appeared near them. "Those are the second largest balls I've ever seen," Dragon Sun commented.

Lilith looked up. "Pang, huh? Moon's weapons are perfect for this."

Moon knew Chie spent much of her time playing videogames, so she wasn't surprised she would know about those balls. "So, what do I do?"

"Use your chakrams, but don't use too much magic, you'll have to hit those balls several times before you destroy them."

Moon nodded and tossed one chakram at the closest ball. As it split in two, she smiled. "Oh, I get it." She tossed her other chakram, and the two weapons started flying around, hitting each ball as they split, and Moon somehow managed to keep all balls from doing any more damage to the buildings around them. As the last ball vanished, Moon flinched. "That was... Tiring."

"Should I be jealous?" Earth asked as she noticed Lilith was staring at Moon in awe,

"Eh, it's not that, but... I didn't know Moon was _that good _with her discs."

"That was utterly pointless, though," Saturn commented.

"There's characters who are much stronger than what you've fought so far," Lilith noted. "Next time he could summon the Death Star."

"... On second thought, he can keep sending weak enemies to fight us for as long as he wants," Saturn said.

* * *

"A large metal stick bouncing a metal ball around," Venus commented. "That looks stupid."

"Hey now, don't diss Arkanoid," Dragon Venus said.

Venus shrugged. "This should be easy. Crescent Beam!"

The 'paddle' dodged the beam, and still managed to hit the metal ball, sending it down and straight to Venus.

"Light Shield."

Venus smiled at the Dragon as a wall of light stopped the ball. "Thanks. But if that thing keeps on moving, it will be hard to get it."

Nova smiled. "Good thing I'm here, then." She concentrated, and the paddle stopped moving. As the metal ball flew up and past its height, the paddle exploded.

Venus stared up in disbelief. "So... That's it?"

"Let's go help the others, if they even need help, that is," Dragon Venus said.

* * *

Mercury was only mildly shocked at what she saw when they went outside. Large pieces of different shapes kept falling down from the sky at a rather high speed, and civilians were doing their best to avoid being crushed by them. She summoned her tonfa and shot an ice ball at a square piece falling to her, and it exploded, vanishing in mid-air. "Okay, it will be easy to deal with the pieces, but I don't think just destroying them will stop this attack."

Mars looked up. "I know what you mean. They're coming from high up in the sky, and don't seem to be stopping."

Jupiter heard a scream, and saw a piece falling straight to a small girl, who was too scared to move. "Damn... Electric Tackle!" She jumped up and straight through the piece, then turned to the girl. "Are you okay?"

The girl nodded. "Thank you, Sailor Jupiter."

Jupiter smiled. "No problem. Now go find a place to hide, we'll take care of those things."

Mercury was talking to Aiko through her visor. "Run a scan of-"

Aiko interrupted her. "What you're looking for is a portal, but it's a thousand meters above us."

Mercury nodded, not minding the interruption. "I got it." She then frowned. "Uhm, Terry, how high can these boards take us?"

"A few miles up," Dragon Mercury said. "Why?"

"Oh, nothing, it's just that these Tetris pieces are coming out of a portal which is right above us-"

The Dragon summoned his comm. "What is it, Aiko?"

"I've run simulations of that portal, and apparently, only Moon's Star level attack would be able to destroy it."

Moon appeared just then, and heard that last bit. "Huh, what's wrong?"

Mercury decided to give her the short version. "These pieces are coming from a thousand meters above us, and your attack's the only one strong enough to destroy their source."

Moon looked up, then paled. "A thousand meters? Uh..."

"I'll tag along," Nova said, understanding why Moon was hesitating. "If you fall, I'll catch you."

Moon sighed. "Okay, let's go."

It took them a minute to get up there, and Moon looked around in confusion. "What, where is the-"

Nova smiled as a T-shaped piece popped out of thin air. "I guess it's there."

Moon nodded. "Okay, here goes nothing. Moonlight Flash!"

Nova saw a disc of light appear briefly as Moon's orb-shaped attack vanished, then there was an explosion. Moon was knocked off her board by it, and Nova flinched. "Good thing I decided to come here."

Moon felt something stop her, and she saw Nova float down to her. "Uh, thanks," she said, then recalled her board.

"No problem, I had to stop Terry from smashing his face into the sidewalk a few times when he first started using his airboard."

Moon saw there was a hint of sadness in Nova's eyes as she said that. Remembering the past still hurt her a bit, but she was sure her wounds would eventually heal.

* * *

**A/N:** Supervillains have parents too. Specially if they're just teenagers in silly cosplay suits.

I know there were many more puzzle games back then, but the ones I remember were either dumb, rip-offs of other, better games, or downright impossible to bring into real world and have them still look like a threat. 'Oh no, there's some witch girl sitting on a strange machine and shooting colored balls up to the sky!' just doesn't seem that threatening to me.


	51. Swords and blasters

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 51: Swords and blasters.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 8, 2013_

* * *

A few hours after the battle, the group was once again meeting, and they were all thinking the same thing.

"That Game Master guy's just a pest," Karin said.

Terry nodded. "Or he's just fooling around. I know there's some games with characters which _could _be a challenge for us."

Chie smiled. "There are Dragon Ball games."

"But knowing him, he'll just send Tapper to attack the city," Kage said, "serving drinks of doom!" He stood up and made a pose as he said that last word.

"Why couldn't I get a more normal boyfriend?" Hotaru muttered.

Kage smiled at her. "You just called me-"

Hotaru blushed slightly. "Guess I did."

Venus and Dragon Venus were, meanwhile, trying something out. "I tell you, Mina, we won't be able to get it right with just a little practice."

Venus was recovering her breath. "Let's try it once more. Venus..." She went through the motions of her Crescent Beam attack, shooting a rather large ball of light at the Dragon.

Dragon Venus held his book up, and the light was absorbed by it. "... Light..." he smiled as Venus run past him, and he brought the book down, opening it at a seemingly random page. As he did, the light ball shot forwards, but it was visibly larger, and brighter.

Venus saw the ball rushing at her and reached back, touching it. As she did, however, the ball started throbbing. "... Expl- Ack!" The ball exploded close to her, sending her crashing to the ground.

Terry was awed by them, but he wouldn't say that out loud. Those two had only tried their link for one hour, and were already close to figuring it out. "Ami, have any logical explanation for that?"

"I suppose they've been together for longer than we have, and-"

"Explo- Ow!"

"-they know each other's skills better."

"Exp- _Shit!_"

Terry sighed as Venus landed close to him in a heap. "Need help?"

"I almost got it," Venus said dismissively as she stood up.

"Fine, be like that," Terry muttered.

Venus sighed. "Uh, sorry, I'm just upset. I can't figure out what's missing."

"What's there to be upset about," Terry mused, "when you've nearly completed that link in a couple hours, while it took me and Ami a month?" He looked at her and smiled. "And here's a tip, it's not something you're missing, it's that you have too much of something."

Venus stared at him confusedly. "Uh, yeah, that helps."

"'The answer's worth a lot more if you get it through the sweat of your brow,'" Dragon Venus said.

Venus nodded. "Okay, let's try this one more time." Again, they went through the motions they could see in their minds, but Venus was, once again, sent flying as the ball of light exploded. Wasn't she good enough? Wasn't she fast enough? She thought about it for a few seconds before smiling. "Oh, I get it!"

"Maybe we should stop for the day," Dragon Venus said. Venus didn't look quite fit anymore, and it was natural, as she had been hit by that light ball at least ten times already.

"No, I swear I know what I was doing wrong."

"But-"

"Brad, trust me."

The Dragon sighed as Venus walked past him. "Okay, one last time."

"Venus..."

"...Light..."

Venus rushed by once more, but the Dragon knew it was different this time. Instead of rushing past the ball, she followed it, and then leapt at it, kicking it with all her might. "Explosion!"

The end result was that the ball was sent forwards at high speed, and exploded in a shower of light bolts as it hit the wall, doing visible damage to the area around the explosion.

"Yeah! We did it!"

Terry smiled. "She could be a good football player. Nice legs."

"Gust!"

Terry picked himself off the ground. "Ow. Didn't mean it that way, Diamond."

Venus sighed. "Brad, don't be a pest. He's not hurting anyone."

Dragon Venus shrugged. "Fine. And I'll agree with him in both things he said."

"Even though they are both in Twilight level, that link has the power of a Star-level attack," Aiko commented.

Venus smiled at Terry. "Thanks for the help."

"Sometimes, to see the solution to a problem, you have to look at it from the outside," Terry said.

"However," Ami said, "these aren't attacks we can use all the time. They require more than one person, both have to be synchronized for it to work, and the enemy could disrupt them rather easily."

"There's always a catch," Terry admitted.

* * *

"Usagi, it's good that you're taking your studies seriously, but you're hardly ever home lately."

Usagi nodded. "Sorry."

Ikuko smiled. "It's okay, I'm proud of you, but I sometimes miss the times where you would be just slacking around here."

Usagi looked out the window. She wished she could tell her mother about what she was doing when she wasn't studying, but...

Ikuko shook her head. "Oh, what am I saying? If I keep saying that, you may go back to being-"

"I won't," Usagi said with a smiled. "I like this Usagi, not the one I was one year ago."

"Me too," Ikuko said, then saw Usagi walk to the door. "Where are you going?"

"Out for a walk. Don't worry, I'm fine, I just need some time alone."

Ikuko sighed as Usagi left. "It's my job to worry."

Luna had listened to all of it, and was also a bit worried. Was the constant fighting wearing Usagi out? She wished she could help her more, but-

"What will we do about that kid, Luna?"

"Meow?" Luna looked up at Ikuko.

"Sometimes I feel like she's not telling me the whole truth... But that can't be right, Usagi's always been honest with us." Ikuko smiled at Luna. "Eh, look at me, talking to a cat. As if you could underst-" She stopped as Luna rubbed her head against her leg. "Perhaps you can understand what I say, after all."

And I understand a lot more than you think, Luna thought with a mental frown.

* * *

Usagi didn't have a destination in mind, and she was only paying enough attention to her surroundings to avoid being hit by a car, or walking into people. She was good at hiding it from her friends, but she was growing tired. Tired of seeing her friends getting hurt, tired of having to be on edge all the time. There hadn't been any attacks in three days, but those short breaks just weren't enough. And yet, she knew she had to keep going. She wouldn't abandon her friends.

"You know, with that face you're making, I almost confused you for someone else."

Usagi looked to the side and flinched. Hana was walking besides her, how long had she been-

"You didn't seem to notice I was here, for two blocks," Hana said. "Did anything bad happen?"

"No, nothing..."

"I don't need my powers to know you're upset, and it's not about 'nothing.'"

Usagi stopped walking and stared at Hana. "I don't want you to worry about me, you've got a lot to deal with already."

"You said you could be my friend, you told me I could talk to you when I needed someone to talk to. Right now, I'll tell you the same thing."

The blonde looked down for a few seconds, then nodded. "It's just that... I've been a Senshi for a year, and I'm already sick of it. I don't see how I could last until-" she stopped as she realized Hana didn't possibly know about it.

"Crystal Tokyo," Hana said. Usagi stared at her in shock, so she smiled. "Terry told me about it." She looked up to the sky. "Perhaps I shouldn't be talking to him that much, it may look like-"

"I... Had a crush on him too," Usagi admitted. "And I'm sure Ami knew it. You may have been a lot closer to him than I was, but I think Ami won't mind him talking to you."

Hana nodded. "I know. In any case, you shouldn't focus on the negative things. The fighting, the stress, those things come and go. Think about what you won from all that fighting, about what you have now, what will stay with you after all the fighting is done."

The blonde smiled. "Thanks to these powers I met all my friends, I stopped being so lazy and careless..."

"Terry told me you had grown a lot from how you were back when he met you."

"That's probably true." She paused for a few seconds, then looked at Hana. "You know, you're as kind and strong as Terry told me. You will surely find-"

Hana grimaced. "Perhaps I don't want to find anyone."

"That's something only you can decide."

"But who knows... Is any of your friends free?"

Usagi shook her head. "No, all the guys are with someone."

"That's too bad," Hana said.

Usagi looked at the taller girl. "Unless you don't mind if it's a girl."

Hana stopped walking and stared at Usagi. "I..."

Usagi gasped. "Sorry, I didn't mean to offend-"

"It's not that. It's just that I never even thought about it. Never had to. But are there girls in your group like that?"

"Aki and Maria, and also Karin and Chie. I was quite shocked when I found out."

Hana looked up to the sky. "Heh. Well, I don't know, I'll try knowing you all more before I make up my mind. Terry's moved on already, so for his sake and mine, I think I can do it, too."

"And you should give Ami a chance. She's not a bad girl."

"I know that," Hana said. "I-"

"Usagi!"

Usagi looked back and smiled. "Hi, Mako."

Mako smiled, and then looked at Hana. "Hey, what are you two up to?"

"Just talking," Hana said. "I think I know why you guys stay close to this girl, though."

Mako nodded at that. "She could befriend a rock, and I don't mean that as an insult."

"By the way, Terry told me you're the strongest of the group. Stronger than him, even?"

"Uh, I just know how to hit hard, that's all."

"Just need someone to tell you where to hit, or to teach you how to choose your targets," Hana said.

"Eh, guess you're right."

Suddenly, Hana flinched and looked back. "Not to switch topics or anything, but Game Master is back."

"Huh?" Usagi turned around and saw a small creature leisurely floating their way. It looked like some sort of ugly jellyfish. "I just know I've seen those somewhere."

"It's a metroid," Hana said.

"Oh, right. I saw Umino playing that game once."

"Seriously, one of those bugs? That will be hardly worth our time." Mako mused. As soon as she had said that, two dozen metroids appeared around them. "... Nice one, universe."

Hana looked around. There were civilians in the area, that would make things harder for them. "We can't fight them without changing for the party."

Usagi was about to say something, when she noticed her surroundings had changed, they were now inside an alley. "Wha-"

Mako flinched. "Ugh. What's with you guys and teleporting people without warning them first?"

"Sorry, but now you can transform," Hana, or rather Nova, said.

Usagi smiled. "Right."

After changing, the trio rushed out of the alley, noticing there were even more metroids than before. They started fighting the creatures, Moon used her weapons, Jupiter used her mallet (which she could, Moon noticed, throw and recall much like her chakrams, though its movements were heavier and slower,) and Nova was using psi blasts.

"Those are impressive trick you have, but they won't work on us."

Moon looked back and saw a couple figures had appeared. One looked like a ninja, while the other was wearing an orange armor with a red helm, his (her?) eyes visible through a green visor. "Huh, those must be the game bosses."

"The armored girl is Samus Aran, she usually fights _against_ metroids, but I don't think Game Master gives a damn about who's good and bad in those videogames. No idea about the other one, though."

"Name's Ryu Hayabusa, and I'm here to exterminate you."

"Dream on. Supreme Thunder Dragon!"

The ninja stared at the dragon dismissively. "Begone!"

Moon blinked in shock. The man had unsheated his sword for a second, using it to create a gust of wind, which cut Jupiter's dragon in half. "What the heck..."

Two figures appeared right next to the ninja, and they looked exactly like him. "Time to die, Jupiter!"

Moon flinched as Jupiter tried to fight the three ninja. "We have to help-"

"Worry about yourself."

Nova saw Samus turn into a ball (how did she even fit there, anyhow?) and roll to them. Samus didn't hit either of them, however, and she was confused for a split second, but then saw something right on their feet. A bomb? "Shit."

Moon tried to stand up, but the attack had stun her. She saw Jupiter was getting quite a beating from the ninja, and Samus was ready to jump in. She also noticed Nova was out cold near her. "Hana!"

"I'll be... Fine," Nova said weakly.

Moon frowned and produced her communicator. "Aiko!"

The girl appeared in her comm. "What's the matter, Moon?"

"Have you told the others about this fight?" She didn't need to ask if the girl had detected it, but why hadn't anyone reached them yet?

"Nobody's at the base right now, and from my scans I could tell you would have no problem fighting those-"

"Damn it!" Moon shouted. "No problem, you say? Nova's injured, Jupiter's being kicked around by our foes, and I don't know if I can help either! How can that be no problem?"

Aiko stared at her, her face as emotionless as usual. "Are you saying I shouldn't trust my sensors?"

Moon sighed. It was pointless to be angry at Aiko, she would not understand-

"I can see you're upset, and I will make sure such a mistake never happens again."

That was her way of saying sorry, Moon realized. "Just try to get everyone here as soon as possible."

"Fire Sentry."

A column of fire rose from the ground, shooting fire blasts at the few remaining metroids, and also knocking Samus and Hayabusa back. Moon looked up to see Warwitch floating down calmly. "Good timing, Yuki."

Warwitch looked at Nova. "She looks quite beaten."

"That armor girl used some kind of bomb, it almost knocked me out, so the damage must be a lot worse for her."

"Help Jupiter first..." Nova said weakly.

Jupiter was getting knocked around by her two foes, but frowned as she heard that. "Warwitch, get them back on their feet, I can handle these goons."

"But-" Moon started.

"I may not be as smart as Ami or as powerful as you, but I will still protect my friends," Jupiter said.

Samus took a step back as lightning arcs started running up and down Jupiter's body. "What is that?"

"Jupiter Star Power!"

The ninja snorted as the transformation ended. "Getting a new suit will not help you, Jupiter!"

Jupiter smiled as the ninja run to her. That's just what she needed. "Jupiter..." She rose one leg up above her head, as electricity gathered around it, and her fists. "... Volt..." She suddenly brought her leg down, stomping the ground hard enough to crack the concrete, and several beams of electricity shot from the ground around her. "... Trap!" She swung her fists down, punching the ground with them, and the beams around her shot out, creating a large sphere of electricity, and trapping the ninja within.

Warwitch was healing Nova, but turned as she sensed the power leaking from Jupiter. "That's just awesome."

Jupiter saw the ninja fall to the ground and then vanish. "Dead already?" She then looked at Samus and smiled. "You're next."

Samus started shooting at Jupiter with her blaster arm, but Jupiter dodged each blast easily. The lightning Senshi then leapt over Samus, kicking backwards as she landed, and sending Samus crashing down. Samus rapidly turned into a ball, but Jupiter's smirk told her that might not have been the best idea.

Jupiter kicked Samus up, who hit against a wall, bouncing back and straight at Jupiter. The armored woman got ready to summon another bomb, but didn't see Jupiter had summoned her hammer. "Down you go!" Jupiter shouted as she swung her hammer, pinning Samus into the concrete, then she smirked. "Thunder Smash!" The hammer charged up with electricity, and Jupiter smashed Samus with it. A short explosion later, all that was left of Samus were bits of her armor. "Hmph, she looked tougher in the games."

"Mako, watch-"

It all happened quite fast. Moon and Nova both noticed Hayabusa rushing at Jupiter from behind, but while Moon only shouted a warning, Warwitch's healing let Nova do a lot more. Jupiter turned to see the ninja staring at her in shock, then he looked down. Jupiter also looked down and flinched, the ninja's torso was mostly gone. As he slumped to the ground, Jupiter realized what had happened. "Thanks, Hana."

"You're welcome," Nova said.

Mars, Venus, Saturn and Mira appeared near them. "Huh? Where are the enemies?"

"Just done dealing with them," Jupiter said.

"So, Aiko called us for naught?"

Moon sighed. "We got quite a beating, but fortunately Warwitch was near. I told Aiko to get some reinforcements-"

"Shouldn't she have done that from the start?"

"She said she had considered these foes weak enough for us to take on."

Mars noticed Moon's scowl. "Usagi, Aiko is just a computer. Or a computer program. Anyhow, what I mean is-"

"I know, Rei. It's pointless to be mad at her."

"Still," Venus said, "you know the saying, to err is only human, so I think Aiko's a bit human."

Saturn looked at her. "Wait, you got the saying right. Strange."

"Huh? I always get them right," Venus said, proudly. The others sighed in defeat.

* * *

**A/N:** For those who don't know him, Ryu Hayabusa is from Ninja Gaiden. I liked him in the original saga, but after "Boobs or Alive" and "Devil May Ninja" (or "Dead or Alive" and the modern "Ninja Gaiden" games, but I like my nicknames for them better,) I find it hard to see him as a cool guy anymore.

Samus is Samus, she's always going to be awesome, but I was tempted to have her fight "Justin Bailey."


	52. Promises

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 52: Promises.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 13, 2013_

* * *

_He really hated those long car trips. True, he had enjoyed the break from school, but the trip back home was just too annoying. He suddenly flinched and looked to the side. "Hey!"_

_"Gotcha." The girl sitting next to him said, grinning mischievously._

_"Mom, Karin's hitting me again."_

_"No, I'm not!"_

_"Kids, please behave," their mother said. "We're almost in Tokyo."_

_The boy, Mamoru, sat there, arms crossed, glaring at his sister. Karin could a pest, but he knew she was just fooling around, and he couldn't bring himself to hate her. The girl stuck out her tongue at him, then smiled. He was about to say something when a noise made him freeze. As he turned, he saw a bright light. His mother's scream was the last thing he remembered before darkness fell upon him._

* * *

Mamoru woke up, taking a moment to look around the room. "That dream again." It wasn't a nightmare, he was sure of it. That scene was the only thing he remembered about his life before the accident. He and his sister had been found alive inside the wrecked car, but their parents... He frowned. It had been years since he last had nightmares about that day. So why were they coming back now?

_"I promise I will bring you the most beautiful flower in the universe."_

He looked around in shock. No, it had been just in his mind, but what did it mean? Why was he thinking about those things now?

* * *

Terry looked at Hakko and smiled. "I was starting to wonder if you were ever coming back."

"I apologize for my prolongued absence, but I can now take care of your training again. I hope you kept training on your own while-"

"Venus..."

"...Light..."

"...Explosion!"

Hakko looked at Venus as her newest trick exploded against the base's far wall, his face unreadable. He then let out a chuckle. "Where did you get such a trick from, Aino?"

"Those techniques," Ami explained, "are a way of combining the abilities of two or more Senshi in battle. But they can't be copied by others," she looked at Earth and Lilith as she said that, and the two just shrugged.

"Perhaps they are linked to your souls," Hakko said. "But this is good, I know something about the Senshi none of the Primes know about."

Two other Senshi were trying to create a new link, but it wasn't working as expected. "Supreme..." Jupiter shouted, and a ball of electricity appeared, hovering over her head.

"...Soul..." Mars mimicked Jupiter's move, only the ball above her head was a fiery one.

"...Wy-" As the two balls of energy clashed, their shape became unstable, and it was clear that it was yet another misfire.

Terry sighed as Mars and Jupiter were knocked back by the explosion. "Girls, seriously, you don't need to figure them out in one day."

Mars chuckled. "You're just mad because Minako and Brad got it in one day."

Terry shrugged. "This isn't a competition. Minako may have figured it out quickly, but you two just keep doing the same thing over and over. Take a break, try doing something else for a while."

Mars stared at Terry for a few seconds before she realized something. He was actually worried about them. Perhaps he was right, too. "Mako, what do you think?"

"I don't see what we're doing wrong, so let's take a break and think about it."

Lilith looked at Earth. She had thought a mock fight would cheer her friend up, but it was pointless, her friend was so out of it, she had knocked her down three times already. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Earth looked at her. "Nothing."

"I've known you for a long time. I know when something's bothering you."

Earth looked down for a few seconds before replying. "It has to do with why brother decided to skip training today."

"Well, since he and Usagi are the only two missing I thought they would be, uhm, 'training.'" Kage said with a sly smile.

"Kage, hush," Hotaru said sternly.

Lilith sighed. "Can you tell me why you're like that?"

"Okay. You know about our parents already, so-"

Terry frowned. "I never asked, but what happened to them?" Some of his friends nodded at that. "That is, if you don't mind me asking.

Earth nodded. "My only memory of them is from that night. We had gone out of town, and were heading back to Tokyo. I remember seeing a blinding light, and next I knew, I was in a hospital bed. A relative of my mother's been taking care of us ever since, and our parents left us a lot of money." She looked at Terry as she said that, then smiled. "Well, by my standards, at least."

"You hadn't mentioned that for years," Lilith noted, "so why-"

"I don't know why, but we started having nightmares about that night. We both remember the same things."

Hakko had listened to it all, but as Earth fell silent, he stood up and walked to her. "Go home."

"Huh? Why?"

"Training is pointless if your mind is not into it. It could be dangerous for you, or others."

Earth stood up and stared at him for a few seconds before she started walking to the elevator, turning back to her normal clothes as she walked. "You're right." She noticed Chie walking to her and frowned. "You don't need to tag along."

Chie smiled. "I don't need to, but I still want to."

"Right."

As the two girls left, Terry looked at Rei and Mako, who were deep in thought. "So, what is it you girls are trying to pull?"

Rei thought about it for a minute, then sighed. Perhaps he could get what was missing. "Well, you see..."

Chie looked at Karin as they walked. She felt like there was something else she wasn't saying, but she didn't want to upset Karin by asking her. But, she realized, Karin had stopped walking. She looked back and saw her friend biting her lips. "Karin?"

"Damn, I just can't lie to you. There is something else, something I didn't mention back at the base."

"I knew it. So, what is it?"

"Fiore."

"Fiore?" Chie frowned. That name sounded familiar to her, but why? "Oh, I remember him, that weird guy who was Mamoru's friend when I first met you two."

"He left shortly after I met you," Karin said. "The truth is, he was an-"

Chie looked around as she heard screams. "Damn, is it Game Master again?"

Karin saw a crowd of creatures walking to them, and frowned. "I don't remember those in any game I've played."

Chie looked at the monsters. They were flowers, walking flowers as tall as them. "I've played a lot more games than you-"

"Yeah, and your grades show that," Karin teased.

Chie groaned, then shook her head. "-and I'm sure they're not from any game. This isn't Game Master's style."

Karin suddenly realized something. These were flowers. "Fiore."

"Huh?"

"No time to explain, let's find a place to transform."

* * *

Terry thought about what Mako and Rei had told him for a minute, then nodded. "Oh, I see!"

Mako's eyes widened. "Huh? You figured it out?"

"Nah, actually, I have no idea what you're doing wrong."

Rei shook her head at him. "What a waste of time."

"Sometimes, the answer lies within, and is thus impossible to see for anyone else," Hakko commented.

"It could be something one of you is doing wrong, or it could be both of you," Terry said, "but I frankly don't have enough experience with this kind of moves to know what it is."

Kage smiled. "Regardless, those 'links' look like fun."

Hakko stared at him. "Battles are not to be taken lightly."

"I know that, but if we have to fight ugly monsters on a daily basis, might as well pretend it can be fun, right?"

Hakko shrugged. "That actually works for some people."

Aiko was sitting on a bench, but suddenly stood up and pointed to the large screen as it lit up. "Enemies detected."

Rei looked at the screen, where countless red dots could be seen. "Crap, Game Master's finally gone all out?"

"Entities match no known videogame creature. Their structure seems to be plant-like, and I estimate at least eight hundred creatures have already appeared."

"That's the second largest crowd of monsters I've ever seen," Kage commented.

"Let's go, guys!" Minako said.

"Eh, how the heck are we going to fight so many bugs?" Naru muttered.

Minako smiled. "Don't worry, as the saying goes, 'where there's a weed, there's a way.'"

Brad stared blankly at Minako. "I don't even know how you managed to screw that up."

"Huh? Screw what up?"

Rei coughed a bit louder than needed. "Stop fooling around and let's go."

"She's acting like a leader," Kage said, "we're doomed."

"That's _my _line!" Rei snapped as she walked into the elevator.

Hakko saw the group leave and shook his head. "And the destiny of the whole world is in _their _hands."

* * *

Earth was using her claws to rip through the horde of enemies, but her mind was not fully into the battlefield. Were these really Fiore's creatures? Why was he sending them to attack? A couple light discs hissed by, and she smiled. At least help was here. "About time, guys."

Moon's weapon was quite effective, cutting through dozens of creatures before returning to her hands, but the plants made up for their low power with sheer numbers. "They have to be coming out of somewhere," she commented.

Dragon Earth nodded. "We have to find Fiore and stop this."

"You told her about him?"

The Dragon smiled. "Of course."

"Flame Sniper!"

Moon's eyes widened. Mars' attack had set countless enemies aflame. "Hey Rei, be careful not to set the city on fire."

"Just trying to help."

The rest of the Senshi were there as well, along with their allies, and Moon frowned. "Shouldn't we split to fight those monsters?"

"I'm trying to find their source," Mercury said, then smiled as some numbers appeared in her visor. "There!"

Nemesis looked in the direction Mercury was pointing at, and cringed. "All I see is more plants."

"There's many of them around the source," Mercury explained, "it's like they're trying to protect it with their own bodies."

"Good for them," Mars said. "Flame Sniper!"

The attack shot forwards, incinerating many foes, and thinning the numbers in the center of the crowd considerably. The group could see a large, seed-shaped object amidst the crowd of plants, but it was soon blocked by a virtual wall of enemies. "Should we all attack together?"

Mars looked at Jupiter, who smiled. "Want to give it another try?"

Jupiter nodded. "Let's do it."

"Eh, are they going to try pulling that link thing in the middle of a battle?" Moon said.

"We Senshi seem to be able to power up when things get tough," Dragon Mercury noted, "so I think it's worth a try."

Jupiter rose her arms up, as a ball of electricity appeared over her head. "Supreme..."

Mars mimicked Jupiter's moves, and a ball of fire appeared above her. "... Soul..."

"They're just doing the same thing again," Venus commented.

Dragon Mercury smiled. No, that wasn't true, their movements were synchronized now. "This might just work."

Both Senshi opened their eyes, as the two elemental balls started swirling around each other. They both smiled and shouted the last word of their technique together. "Wyvern!"

The twin balls clashed into each other, but instead of exploding, they quickly expanded, their shape becoming that of a giant fire wyvern, which had electric arcs running up and down its body. The creature shrieked once, then shot forwards, blasting any creature in its path with electricity and fire. It flew straight into the 'seed,' which shone white for a few moments before exploding.

"Hey, look at the plants!"

Moon smiled. As soon as that seed-like object had been destroyed, the plants around them had turned into dust. "We did it!"

Mercury looked at her visor. "Unfortunately, I'm sensing at least ten more seeds around the city."

"It's okay, we'll just split and-"

"It's useless to resist, Earthlings."

Everyone looked at the newcomer. He could have looked human, if not for his skin and hair being a pale green color. Two of the Senshi knew who it was, and were quite shocked to see their nightmare had somehow become true. "Fiore?"

Moon looked at Dragon Earth. "You mean that guy is-"

"Why are you attacking our world, Fiore?" Earth asked.

"Mamoru, Karin, been a while," Fiore said with a smile. He then frowned. "But you two... Why are you destroying my creatures?"

"We can't let them destroy our city."

Fiore was confused by that. "You... Why do you humans like the stench of these 'cities'? Why do you keep pushing nature back and building these hideous caves?"

"So, your goal is to destroy our homes?" Mars asked. "We can't allow that to happen."

Fiore ignored her. "Mamoru, I've come to fulfill my promise."

Earth frowned, she knew what he meant, her brother had told her about it. "If you mean those plant monsters, they're ugly as hell."

"If you come with me, Mamoru, I'll show you what I brought."

"Mamoru, don't-"

Dragon Earth nodded at Moon. "I'm not going with him. The Fiore I knew would not act like this. You said the Earth was a beautiful world, Fiore."

"But I found something out there, something which opened my eyes. Technology is a disease, and humans are already beyond hope. Come with me, Mamoru, and you'll be saved."

"Saved? What are you planning?"

"I already told you, mankind is doomed. This world needs a chance to start over, a chance for nature to take back what was stolen from it."

Mercury saw Fiore look up, and looked in the same direction. She frowned as her visor picked something. "What's that? A comet? And it's... It's heading straight for us!"

Fiore ignored the others, he was only looking at Mamoru. "Come with me."

"No."

"What? After all I did for you, you're rejecting my gift?"

Moon was about ready to throttle the alien. "Gift? You come here saying you'll kill everyone, and you'll take Mamoru away from us? I don't care if you're Mamoru's friend, I will not let you do it!"

"Mamoru, who is that girl?"

"She is..." Dragon Earth looked at Moon, and smiled. "She's the most important person in this world for me." He turned to Fiore and frowned. "I can't let you do this."

Fiore looked shocked for a second, but then smiled. "Fine, if she means so much to you, then..."

Dragon Earth saw Fiore vanish, and for a split second thought he had left. Then he sensed movement near him, and realized what his plan was. But it was too little, too late.

"Moon!"

Earth glared at Fiore. He had knocked Moon out with an energy blast, and then teleported away from them before they could react. "Hmph. To think I used to think you were a cool guy. You're nothing but a monster!"

Fiore's smile didn't falter. "If this girl means so much for you, Mamoru, then she can be useful for me. If you want her back, come and get her."

Dragon Earth glared at the spot where Moon and Fiore had been for several seconds before he started walking away. "Usagi..."

"Brother, what-"

"I'm going to get her back."

"We'll help," Mars said.

"He only wants me, I'll go there and-"

Earth stood in front of him, glaring at him. "Don't be a jerk, we're not _asking you _to let us help you. Usagi's my friend too, and Fiore... He's not being himself. I want to know why he's acting like that."

The Dragon looked around, and saw everyone was looking at him the same way. "I... Sorry, everyone."

Mercury was staring up. "If I were to guess, I would say they're in that coment."

Mira turned to Mercury. "Ami, how far is that comet from us?"

"It's far beyond the Moon right now."

"Crap, we won't be able to jump all the way there," Circe muttered.

"Then we just have to wait for a couple hours, and it'll be right above our heads," Mercury said, not a hint of humor in her voice.

Mars looked at Dragon Earth. "Before we go there, we need to know who that guy is."

"I'm not sure I know him anymore," the Dragon said, "but I'll tell you what happened back then. Let's go back to the base."

"We'll tag along," Mira said.

"Me too," Warwitch said.

Ail and Ann looked at each other, and they both nodded. "Usagi's our friend, we won't let anyone hurt her."

"Wait, shouldn't we do something about the plants?" Lilith asked.

Luna came running to them. "Senshi, the army's taking care of those plants already. Apparently, a direct shot from a tank's shell takes care of the seeds, and those plants can be killed with conventional weapons."

"Good to know," Mars said. "Let's go."

* * *

Something told her waking up wouldn't be such a good idea, but she decided to ignore that feeling. As she opened her eyes, Moon noticed her surroundings were barren, lifeless, and she could see the blackness of outer space above her, along with the Earth. Images of what had happened before she had her unscheduled nap returned to her, and she flinched as she saw someone walking to her. "You..."

"Don't bother, human," Fiore snapped. "You've bewitched Mamoru, but I will make him remember, I will make him see the beauty of my mission."

"My friends will come and rescue me."

"Let them come, I will fight them all if I have to."

Moon frowned. Fiore didn't seem that strong, but... There was something odd about him. But that wasn't what stopped her from just blasting him out of the way. No, this was Mamoru's friend, she had to figure out why he was acting like this and stop him.

* * *

_He was scared. No, that wasn't the right word, but... First thing he remembered was waking up in a hospital bed, and he didn't remember much before that. He just knew his own name, and that he had a sister named Karin. The doctors had, after a few hours, told him what happened. A car accident had killed both their parents. His sister was alive, but the doctors hadn't let him see her yet, they didn't let him get out of the bed. His mood wasn't good, specially since he couldn't remember his parents, no matter how much he tried._

_"Are you alone too?" Mamoru turned to his side. A sickly-looking kid was looking at him, smiling. "I know how bad it is, to be alone in this world," the boy continued. "Perhaps we can be friends?"_

_Mamoru smiled. Yes, it'd be good to have a friend to talk to while he was in the hospital._

* * *

Mamoru paused and scanned the room with his eyes before continuing his story. "I didn't know what he was, but he trusted me enough to tell me after we left the hospital. I didn't care that he was an alien, he had been the only friend I had in there. But he had to leave the planet, he was looking for a home but our planet's atmosphere was weakening him."

"But why did he come back?" Hotaru asked.

"Because of a promise he made, the day he left this world."

* * *

_"Mamoru, I will always remember you," Fiore said._

_Mamoru smiled sadly. Fiore had been a friend, his first friend, and had always been there when he felt sad, to cheer him up, just as he had been there to cheer Fiore up. And right now, Fiore felt sad about leaving, but Mamoru knew how to solve that. "Here."_

_Fiore looked at the red rose Mamoru was holding. "What's this?"_

_"A present," Mamoru said. "They're the prettiest flowers in this planet."_

_Fiore took the rose and then held Mamoru's hands. "Thank you... I didn't know getting a simple flower would make me so happy. I'll come back to Earth someday. I promise I will bring you the most beautiful flower in the universe."_

* * *

"And that was the last time I saw him," Mamoru finished.

"If the 'beautiful flower' is those things he sent, then his tastes are quite strange," Mako commented.

Ami walked to the computer, typing for a minute before frowning. "Well, good news is, the comet's close enough now to teleport to it. However, that's only because the comet is headed straight for the Earth, and will crash in about one hour."

"Wait, how can Usagi be alive up there?"

"The comet's got no atmosphere any human could survive in," Ami explained, "but our suits let us survive in outer space, or even under the sea, for as long as we need."

"You never told us that."

"You never asked," Ami noted, then looked at those who were not Senshi. "I don't think you guys can-"

Emi sighed. "We can create a small bubble of air around us, but it will drain us, so we wouldn't be able to fight for more than a couple minutes."

"We came to Earth in a 'ship' like that one," Ail said, "we'll tag along."

Ann frowned. "But we'll be useless up there. It's too far from the Makaijuu, we wouldn't be able to fight."

Ail stared at her for a second, then groaned. "Right, guess we're out."

Yukiko frowned. "I'm out, I like breathing."

"Same here," Hana said.

"Guess we'll get all the fun this time around," Rei noted. "Let's go."

After the Senshi left, Yukiko turned to the Huntresses. "Hey, can you girls teach me how to do that air bubble spell?"

"We don't know if your magic would work with spells like-" Maria started, then frowned. "Wait, can you even control air?"

Yukiko smiled as she rose her hand, a small sphere of distorted air could be seen in it. "Yeah."

Emi looked at the sphere. "Well, you're already doing the basic steps there. It's just a matter of making that sphere man-sized, and making the air static."

"I see, guess I'll just have to practice."

Hakko had been silent all along, but decided to comment on that. "I was told you were looking for me."

Yukiko nodded. "Uh, yeah, I was."

"I suppose you want to train your close range skill."

"I don't think I have any," Yukiko mused, "but yeah."

Hakko smiled. "Let's find out, then."

Yukiko blinked in surprise, it had all happened too fast. One second Hakko was talking, the next he was right in front of her, and his fist was milimeters away from her face."Hey, what-"

"Quite impressive," Hakko said.

"What do you mean?" Yukiko asked, then finally noticed something. She was holding her hand up, but it had moved on its own. She lowered it and shrugged. "I don't know what's so impressive."

"Most untrained students I've tested that way don't even react. You and Tsukino have the potential to be very good as far as defense goes."

"So, does that mean you'll train me?"

"The Senshi are my priority, but they need to train their powers too, so I'll have some free time." He paused, noticing Yukiko's stare, then sighed. "That means 'yeah.'"

Emi smiled. "Being trained by the legendary Hakko, that must be nice."

"I'm not legendary," Hakko noted, "though I wouldn't mind having a footnote or two in whichever legend the Senshi do eventually create around themselves."

* * *

Moon had watched the Earth slowly grow larger in the 'horizon', and she could guess what that meant. "What are you planning, Fiore? If you crash this thing into the Earth, millions could die!"

"Your race doesn't care about nature. They will be a perfect gift for Kisenian."

Moon was about to ask what he meant by that, but then noticed a small flower was seemingly attached to his shoulder. It had eyes, and they were staring at her. "What... What is that?"

"Kisenian, the one who opened my eyes to the truth."

The flower also had a mouth, and it used it to smile coldly at Moon. "I like your world, human. It's so full of energy... I will enjoy feasting on those humans Fiore despises so much."

"I will stop you."

"I doubt it," Fiore said, "but don't worry, Mamoru will be saved. I will keep my promise, and show him the most beautiful flower in the universe."

"If you're talking about the one in your shoulder, then I'm sorry to say this, but it's damn ugly."

Fiore turned and saw the Senshi were there. "Mamoru's little sister, I do consider you a friend as well."

Earth frowned. "I can't call you a friend when you're threatening my world, Fiore."

"Let her go," Dragon Earth said.

"Only if you come with me," Fiore replied. "Don't you see it? Destiny let us meet back then, and destiny let me find what I was looking for. We are destined to be together."

Kisenian growled. "Fiore, waste no time with them. Keep your friends alive if you want, but the others are a threat to us."

Dragon Earth summoned his sword and shield. "I won't let you do that."

Fiore summoned a vine-like sword and glared at him. "Can't you see that girl is controlling you? I'm back, why do you insist on protecting her?"

Why, indeed. Mamoru had, while telling the others about his past, remembered a small yet important detail. "Don't you remember, I gave you a rose back then, a single rose."

"What does that have to do with her?"

"Everything."

* * *

_"Why are you crying?"_

_Mamoru looked at the girl with the strange hairdo. It looked like she had two meatballs on top of her head, and that almost made him laugh. "My friend's leaving soon, and I can't do a thing about it," he explained._

_The girl smiled at him and looked at the bouquet of roses she was holding. "Since today, I'm an older sister. My mother had a baby, and I brought these for her as a present. Here, it's a happy day for me today, and I want it to be happy for you too."_

_Mamoru looked at the offered rose for a few seconds before taking it and smiling back at her. "Thank you."_

* * *

Dragon Earth looked at Moon for a few seconds before looking at Fiore again, who seemed confused after what he had just told him. "That rose was a gift from a little girl, someone I didn't know back then. And I never realized who that girl was, until today. I gave you that rose as a sign of our friendship, Fiore, but I was destined to be with her."

Fiore took a step back, looking at the Dragon and Moon in turns. Kisenian knew this was bad, and tried to 'help' her ally. "See, he betrayed you, he loves that human, not you. He deserves to die along with the rest of his race."

"No, he's my friend."

"Listen to me, you must-"

Fiore clutched the small flower and glared at it. "No! I made a promise to him, and even if he doesn't... I was wrong, and I know that now. But I'll still keep my word!"

Kisenian growled. "What are you doing?"

Fiore struggled to rip the flower off him, but it was seemingly impossible. "Mamoru, please, destroy this comet, destroy me. I never meant to hurt you, but this monster, it promised to help me in my search, and I let it take control of me."

"We can't do that," Moon said. "We won't do that. If you're still the same person Mamoru remembers, then your heart is stronger than whatever that flower is doing to you."

Fiore smiled at Moon. "Now I see why you chose her, Mamoru." He rose his sword and sliced Kisenian off his shoulder. "I... I'm sorry."

Dragon Earth saw Fiore fall to the ground and winced. "Is he..."

"He's still alive," Saturn said.

Kisenian glared at them. "Stupid humans! He already gave me more than enough energy, I can still-"

Mercury had summoned her computer and typed a few words in it. She looked at Kisenian and frowned. "She lied to him."

Kisenian laughed. "Of course I did. I saw someone I could use, and took the chance. And when his mind showed me this Earth of yours... I just couldn't wait to drain it."

Mercury was reading the screen. "The Kisenian flower, a creature of pure evil which feeds on worlds, draining them out of any life until they become barren planets. It uses living beings to move from one world to the next."

Kisenian looked at Dragon Earth. "That's all true. Why do you think I let Fiore keep his foolish promise? Why did I want him to keep you alive?"

"She needs a host to survive the long trips," Mercury explained. "She kills the host once she's found a new world to drain.

Kisenian smiled as she grew bigger, until it was towering above the Senshi. "That's true, so I intend to keep one of you alive. The rest of you will be a very good appetizer."

Mercury looked at Dragon Mercury, who nodded. "You're just a weed, but you won't survive winter's fury. Mercury..."

Dragon Venus noticed the two Mercuries' poses. "Shit, that plant's dead."

"... Blizzard..."

"Fangs!"

Kisenian's size was clearly a bad thing for her, as she couldn't move out of the way of the attack. The massive flower was frozen in a matter of seconds, and then shattered in countless pieces before vanishing.

"This is the part where one of us uses a pun," Dragon Venus noted, "but that was too awesome to ruin with words."

Moon looked to the side and flinched. "Ami?"

Mercury knew what Moon meant, and checked her computer. "The comet is still heading for the Earth."

"We could have the army nuke it," Jupiter suggested.

"You mean the Japanese army has nukes?" Dragon Mercury asked.

"No, but uncle Taichi has the U.S. army's number."

"That would still be bad," Mercury noted, "instead of one large rock falling into the Earth, there would be thousands of smaller rocks. They could wreck not only Tokyo, but many other cities on that side of the planet."

"If we don't do something, it will wreck the planet," Nemesis commented.

Moon had been silent, because she had been trying to 'talk' to her crystal. And she had found the answer she looked for. "I can do it. I can alter its course."

"But the mana required for such a feat..." Mercury started.

"Moon, don't do it. You could die!"

Moon smiled at Mars. "Rei, I killed two evil demigods, I don't think a big rock will kill me."

Fiore staggered up, he had heard Moon say she would alter the comet's course. "It's all my fault. Kisenian was the one setting the course, I can't change it on my own."

"It was Kisenian's fault," Dragon Earth said, "and she's gone now. Trust Moon, she can do it."

The Senshi all nodded at that, and Moon smiled. "Guys, I'll need your help." As the others concentrated, Moon could feel energy flowing into her, and she closed her eyes, focusing in what she had to do.

* * *

Saiko sighed as he heard the reports. So the plant creatures were withering away all around the city. That was good, indeed, but... She stared up at the sky and shook her head. "I should have brought a larger launcher."

Warwitch and the others had decided to help fighting the plants while the Senshi fought Fiore. "Trust the Senshi, they'll deal with that."

Nova sighed. "If they don't, I don't think any of us can do a thing about it. I've moved some pretty large rocks before, but that one's out of my league."

"I like your optimism, guys," Saiko joked.

* * *

Fiore couldn't help but be awed by the power this human woman had. He could feel the ground underneath his feet shaking, as the comet was slowly, yet relentlessly taken out of its course. But he was also shocked. She could have destroyed him at any time while he foolishly used her as bait to attract Mamoru. And yet, she hadn't used her power to free herself, she hadn't attacked him. He could only respect her for that, and he was happy Mamoru had found such a girl.

It was clear to him now, he had fooled himself into thinking Mamoru saw him as more than a friend. He met Kisenian years ago, while looking for a home, in a barren world, and the promises it made sounded sincere enough to him. He had let the plant corrupt him, and Mamoru's world had almost paid a very high price for his weakness.

He stared at the horizon, and saw the Earth wasn't in the center of the sky anymore. It was still crawling to the side. Kisenian's plans had failed, and it was all thanks to these humans... To Sailor Moon.

He heard cheers as the Senshi also noticed that, but the cheers soon turned into something else. He looked at Moon, and saw she was lying on the ground, and understood why the others all looked worried, even sad.

"Usagi, wake up!" Venus said.

Mars was kneeling besides her fallen friend, sobbing. "You liar, you said you wouldn't die."

Dragon Earth was simply staring at Moon. True, Saturn could bring her back, but it still hurt to watch her like this. And he knew this meant she wouldn't have another chance after-

Fiore walked to him and smiled. "Destiny is a strange thing. Even though Kisenian was set on coming here, I still kept searching, and I found this before I returned here." As he said that, a flower appeared in his hands. It was a large, strange-looking flower, and the Dragon had to admit it looked eerily beautiful.

"What is that?" Dragon Earth asked as he noticed it had some kind of nectar inside.

"It's the flower I wanted to give you. Its nectar has healing properties." He smiled and offered it to him. "Give it to her. It's only fitting, after all, that rose you gave me was her flower."

The Dragon sipped some of the nectar, then kissed Moon. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked around. "What happened?"

"You saved me, and I always return favors," Fiore said with a smile.

Lilith noticed the Earth was already slowly shrinking behind them. "I think we should hurry."

Fiore nodded. "Farewell, Senshi. Goodbye, Mamoru."

Dragon Earth smiled and gave the flower back to him. "You should keep it."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I already found my own perfect flower." As he said that, he looked at Moon, who smiled at him.

"Since it was my fault that you had to come here, I'll send you back," Fiore said. "Maybe someday I'll return, after I find a world to live in."

"Is that a promise?" Dragon Earth asked.

"Yes," Fiore said then closed his eyes. The Senshi were all surrounded by a white light for a few seconds, then vanished. He opened his eyes again and looked at the Earth, now only a small blue sphere up in the sky. "It's a promise."

* * *

**A/N:** Never liked the Sailor Moon movies, because they don't affect the anime itself at all, and I'm a "continuity or get the hell out" kind of fan when it comes to anime movies. However, that makes it more of a challenge to try making their base plot work within my fic.

Yeah, this one got pretty long. I think I'll write the other movies as single chapters as well, instead of having them split through two or more chapters like I did in Cyber Moon.


	53. Doomed

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 53: Doomed.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 15, 2013_

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Usagi sighed. "Yeah, Luna, I'm-"

"I can tell you're worried about something."

"Yes, I am. That Game Master guy, he hasn't attacked for almost one week now."

"I thought you didn't like fighting."

"I don't, but I know I'll eventually have to fight that man. I wish he would just come out of hiding already."

Luna smiled. "You'll beat him, I'm sure of that. But I thought you would be more worried about... Well, you know."

"About what happened in that comet?" Usagi asked. "It was strange, one moment I fall down, the next I wake up. No lights, no angels, no nothing."

"It was fortunate that you could be revived without Saturn's help," Luna noted, "but you need to be more careful."

"Careful?"

Luna jumped back in surprise. Usagi seemed upset about what she had said. "Yeah, I mean-"

"Luna, I'm no expert in astronomy or aything like that, but even I know a rock the size of our neighbourhood crashing into the Earth would be a very bad thing. If I had to choose again, I would have done the same thing."

Luna shook her head. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"I forgot how selfless you can be. And you're right, it's something you had to do, but... It doesn't make it easier on any of us."

"I know that." Usagi sighed and stood up. "I think I'm going to the-"

"Hi, sis."

Usagi turned to the door and frowned. Shingo was standing there, smiling at her. "Hey, don't you ever knock?"

"I just wanted to tell you you should stop talking to your cat while mom and dad are around. They could figure it out."

The girl had a hard time hiding her surprise. Did he know? "Figuring what out? I'm not doing anything here."

Shingo looked at Luna. "She's been around for a while, huh? In fact, she showed up at about the same time Sailor Moon was first seen."

Usagi didn't like where his line of thought was going. "Shingo, I hope you're not implying what I think you-"

"I know you are Sailor Moon."

"Seriously, you're insane."

Shingo sighed and shook his head. "I see, you'll just keep on denying it. Guess you don't trust me."

Usagi saw Shingo walk out of the room, and looked at Luna, who nodded. "Shingo."

"What?"

Usagi smiled. "You're not wrong, but it's not something I can tell everyone."

"Guess it isn't. It was a shock for me, you've always been lazy, unreliable, selfish..."

"Hey!"

Shingo smiled. "But even though we argued a lot, I've always known you do care about others more than about yourself."

That was, Usagi admitted, something she had never expected to hear from her brother. "How did you figure it out?"

"It's a wonder mom and dad didn't," Shingo noted. "You're never around when Sailor Moon shows up. Also, this kitty doesn't have the mark Sailor Moon's cat has, but-"

"I don't?" Luna asked. "Oh, right."

Usagi smiled as Shingo stared at Luna, then realized what Luna meant. "Well, he would have figured it out much faster if he could see it."

"See it?" Shingo asked, then gasped. "No, wait... I can see the mark now. But how?"

"It's a spell I keep active at all times," Luna explained, "it lets me and other Mooncats hide our marks from non-magical beings, and some weak magical beings may also be fooled by it."

Shingo nodded. "Anyhow, I suppose you were heading for the dojo, right?"

Usagi sighed. "You know too much for your own good."

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me, sis."

* * *

Aiko looked up at the screen. "Hope that answers your question."

Terry smiled as Minako stared at the screen in shock. He had to admit, however, that Aiko was a good Doom player. "Yeah, the base's computer can play any game you may think of."

"Wait," Brad said as he looked at the screen, "Game Master must have access to either magic or a lot of money and advanced technology, right?"

"Yeah, why do you-"

"Holy crap, it was you all along!"

Terry stared at Brad for a few seconds, then shook his head. "Good theory, but if it was me, I would only summon hot girls from videogames, not a Pac-Man or Tetris pieces."

"Uh, yeah. Guess you're off the hook."

"Are we even sure he's working on his own?" Minako asked.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Access to magic and technology. Doesn't that sound like that Onara guy?"

Terry looked at Ami, who was staring at Minako in awe, then back at the blonde. "You're right."

"We didn't think about that before. Maybe he is working with Onara."

"If cyborgs don't work, send some geek in a Rockman suit," Brad commented. "Sounds like the perfect plan to me."

Usagi walked in and looked around the room, noticing most of her friends weren't there. "Hey, where's everyone?"

"Slacking off," Terry said.

"You seem a bit upset," Hotaru noted.

"Shingo knows who I am."

"Really, how did he find out?"

"He noticed I'm never around when Sailor Moon shows up. Also, even if he couldn't see Luna's mark, he still saw she looked 'just like' Sailor Moon's cat."

"The spell makes it extremely hard for someone to figure things out, but it's not impossible."

Usagi nodded at Ami, then looked at the screen. "Hey, is that Doom?"

Aiko stared at the screen. "Not exactly." The creatures in the screen were from that game, but the scenery was from a Tokyo street. "There's hundreds of creatures out there, all from Doom."

"Where's Doom Guy when you need him?"

"Seeing how things have worked for us," Hotaru noted, "he'll be trying to rocket us down."

"Hey, as long as there's none of those huge demon guys-" Minako stopped as the ground shook. "Crap."

"The others have been already alerted," Aiko said, "and Mars and Nemesis already engaged the enemy near their houses."

"Let's go get them," Usagi said, "perhaps that coward will stop hiding after this one."

"Hey, it could be worse," Terry noted.

"Worse than huge demons with rocket launchers for arms?" Minako asked.

"Yeah, he could be using Gal's Panic."

"... I don't know that one."

"Be glad you don't," Brad commented.

* * *

"Snow Angel."

Warwitch smiled as her attack turned a dozen imps into monster popsicles. Those things looked tougher in the game. She was about to fly up to scan the area, when she noticed a large, gross ball of meat floating to her, along with a large, fat demon with miniguns for arms. "Damn, I thought they would only be from the first Doom."

"Chimera's Breath."

The witch couldn't help but wince. The two creatures had been surrounded by a thick cloud of gas, and it had turned them both into blobs of flesh in a matter of seconds. "Disgusting, but effective."

Mira came flying to her. "These things are all over the city."

"Hope the Senshi figure out how to get rid of their source."

* * *

"Moonlight Flash!"

The attack tore through a few dozen enemies, and Mercury sighed. "We can keep on blasting those things down, but more will come to fight us."

"I know that, but we can't let those monsters hurt civilians."

Mercury nodded. "I'll try to find where the creatures are coming from, you guys try to keep them from doing too much damage to the city."

"Venus..."

"...Light..."

"Explosion!"

The attack tore through several trees, and the explosion itself turned a few cars into shrapnel. Dragon Mercury winced and then looked at Mercury. "What about the damage our own attacks do?"

"Just keep the monsters busy," Mercury noted, "I'll find out what we need to kill to stop them for good."

"Hope we find them soon," Saturn said, "those creatures are weak, comparatively speaking, but sometimes quantity is more important than quality."

* * *

Mars shot a couple arrows, piercing through the demon's chest. The normal monsters weren't such a challenge, but she had seen them attack civilians. There weren't enough of them, even adding Warwitch, the Huntresses and the twins, to stop these monsters. She took her communicator out and sighed. "Guys, this isn't working. There will surely be casualties before long, and we can't find the source if we have to stop to fight each and every demon."

Dragon Sun's face appeared. "I've already taken care of this. Reinforcements should be arriving soon."

"Good, but they better hurry," Mars noted, then put her comm away. She was just done doing that, when she saw five figures appear near her. More enemies? No, these were... "Demon Hunters?"

"Sailor Mars, leave the creatures to us."

"But-"

The man looked at a rather large demon walking their way. "Brunhilde's Spear."

Mars saw the demon be skewered by a massive spear, and smiled. "I suppose I shouldn't get all the credit, just this once." She summoned her airboard and flew away.

"So that's the legendary Mars?" Another Hunter commented. "She doesn't look that tough." Just then, a cyber-demon was turned into a walking pyre, vanishing after only a couple seconds of burning. "..."

"I think that should make you change your mind about them, Ceti," the first Hunter mused.

"Ceti, Epsilon, stop slacking around, we have a monster army to take care of," the third Hunter, the only female of their squad, said.

"As you command, oh mighty Persephone," Epsilon muttered.

* * *

Mercury looked at the data in her visor. "There's at least fifty Hunters out there right now. None of the unknown ones comes up to our level, but some of them are close to a Twilight Senshi."

"This is annoying."

Moon saw the rest of the group, along with Warwitch, Nova and the three Huntresses, flying to them. "It sure is, there's too many of those demons around."

"At least we don't have to go searching for color-coded keys to open doors," Dragon Sun commented.

"So, if there's creatures from Doom two, then that means the final boss should be a large wall."

Saturn stared at Lilith. "You're joking, right?"

"No," Lilith said, "but I haven't seen anything like that around the city."

Dragon Mercury looked south, and muttered some choice insults in English. "What the hell is that thing?"

Moon looked in the direction the Dragon was pointing at, and her eyes widened. There was a very large demon there, not unlike the ones with rocket launchers for arms (Lilith had called those Cyber Demons,) but this one was at least fifty meters tall.

"The bigger they are, the bigger their rockets are," Dragon Venus said.

"I don't remember any boss like that in the game," Lilith admitted.

"Never said I didn't like to mod my games."

Moon saw Game Master floating near them. "You..."

"I'm not here to fight. I just want to offer you a chance to surrender before I start taking this game seriously."

"Game?" Moon almost shouted. "That's what this is for you? There could be people hurt or killed because of this, and you call it a game?"

"Hmph, I knew you wouldn't give up. I'll leave, then-"

"Moonlight Flash!"

Game Master smiled as a white energy shield formed behind him. "Are you sure you should be wasting your energy when there's a huge demon wrecking the city?"

Moon glared at the spot Game Master had been floating in, before looking at the demon. "If we kill the boss, the game ends, right?"

"Yeah," Dragon Mercury said.

Mercury scanned the creature, which was slowly walking to them, crushing trees and cars as it approached. "We will need to use a few of our combined attacks to take that one down, so we should-"

Moon shook her head. "Leave it to me." If was she was planning worked, then that demon was as good as gone.

"But your attack is not strong enough to-"

Moon looked at Mercury. "Trust me, Ami."

"Okay." Mercury stared at Moon in awe. Was she about to use a new attack? No, Moon's motions were the same as usual, why was she using the same attack?

"Moonlight..." No, Mercury could see it was different, Moon had pulled both her hands back, and they were both wrapped in light. "Pulse!" She started punching the light circle rapidly, alternating her left and right fists, and instead of a single light orb, dozens of small orbs shot forth. The first few ones seemed to hit the demon's skin with no effect, but after a few seconds, the rain of orbs pierced right through the giant demon's chest. The creature howled in pain before vanishing, and Moon smiled. "Hey, what do you know, I can beat videogames after all."

"Awesome, you got a new attack," Jupiter commented.

"That wasn't a new attack," Moon said.

"What?" Mars looked at Mercury. "What's she talking about?"

Moon smiled. "I know that when I get a new attack, I can see it in my mind first. Even those combination attacks some of you do work that way, right?"

"Yeah, that's true," Mercury said.

"Well, I didn't use that attack because I saw it in my mind. I've been wondering about something Luna said before, and I guess I finally figured it out."

Dragon Mercury stared at Moon for a few seconds. "You mean you created that attack on your own, it wasn't something you 'unlocked,' so to speak."

"I've learnt something from training," Moon said, "sometimes just waiting for a magical solution to win a fight doesn't work. I wanted to be stronger, and something Saturn said today made me finally understand what my attack was missing."

"Sometimes, quantity is more important than quality," Saturn said, recalling what she had said minutes earlier. "Oh, I see. Instead of one large orb, you used dozens of smaller ones to slowly break through the enemy's defenses."

"Luna once said that techniques used by Senshi are different with each new generation, that each Senshi has different attacks. After seeing you guys do those combined attacks, I started wondering if we couldn't just create our own attacks."

"It's not a new attack, technically," Dragon Sun noted, "but still, modifying it like that is quite impressive."

Mars looked at the point where Game Master had last been. "Wonder what that moron will use next?"

"The White Mage from Final Fantasy?"

Lilith looked at Earth. "As long as she doesn't know Holy..."

Mercury was checking her computer. "Good, killing that huge demon caused all the other demons in the city to vanish. Also, the Demon Hunters are healing those who were injured by the monsters."

Dragon Sun looked at Moon. "By the way, Aries asked for permission to act if a large-scale attack like this happens again."

"Sure, we'll need help if anything like this happens," Moon said. "But why is she asking..."

"Hunters don't interfere with Senshi battles unless asked to by them, or authorized to do so beforehand," Dragon Sun explained, then looked at Mira. "Well, most of them don't."

"Shut it, Kage."

"Make me."

Mira smiled deviously. "Mute."

Saturn blinked in surprise as the Dragon tried to shout at Mira, but no sound came from him. "Wow, that's nice. Can you teach me that spell?"

"Uh, not sure you could use it. Why?"

"To use it whenever he starts trying to be amusing and fails."

Dragon Sun made a few signs with his hand, then poked his own throat with it. "Damn it, I didn't think mom would teach you that one spell."

Mira smiled. "And I didn't think she had taught you how to cancel it."

Moon wasn't really paying attention to her friends. She had a bad feeling about this war, Game Master was calling it a game, but this attack had been quite serious. She wanted to end the war quick, but how? _'If he wants to pretend this is just a game, then it's one game I won't lose.'_

* * *

**A/N:** At least this time those evil Doom monsters didn't kill any rabbits.

That scene with Usagi and Shingo may hint some Cyber Moon readers on one of the things this version will (possibly) be missing.

As for the game Terry mentioned, if you're above eighteen years of age or a pervert (or both,) you may find info about it via Google. I'll admit Gal's Panic would make for a very "interesting" fight for the Senshi, but I'm trying to keep this fic below R rating.


	54. Sailor Mon vs Street Fighter

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 54: Sailor Moon vs. Street Fighter.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 19, 2013_

* * *

Training could actually be fun at times, but there were also times like this, when she knew something was wrong with her 'rival.' "That's not like you at all."

Hotaru looked up at her. "I just messed up, that's all, you won't knock me down so easily twice."

"Come on, I know there's something on your mind, Hotaru."

The pale girl stood up and sighed. The others were all busy with their own training, so she motioned Usagi to the far side of the room. Once they got there, she nodded. "I'm sorry, I should be focusing in training, but-"

"Tell me what's worrying you, perhaps I can help."

"I doubt it."

"Come on..."

"You shouldn't be worrying about me."

"Of course I should, we are friends."

Hotaru stared at Usagi for a few seconds, then smiled. "You're right. My problem is... About me and Kage."

"Huh? What happened?"

"He likes me, I like him, but... I realize I don't like him the way he does, and I doubt I ever will. I don't feel-" Hotaru paused for a second and then sighed. "I can't even say the word, how pathetic is that?"

"You're worried about hurting him if you tell him."

"Yeah, he is my best friend. I don't want to lose that."

"If you tell him how you feel, you may hurt him, but if you keep pretending everything's right, then it will hurt him more in the end."

Hotaru shook her head. "I wanted this to work, but-"

"There's more than one kind of 'love.' Since you said you weren't good at dealing with people, perhaps you confused the love one feels for a friend with the romantic kind."

"I hadn't considered that."

"And even if there's that kind of feelings, even then love can have different faces," Usagi said, looking at Yukiko, who was trying to fight Terry, and failing.

"You're saying that even if I don't feel the same way he does, it won't change the way he feels about me."

Usagi sighed. "I'm not an expert in those things, Hotaru, but I know hiding from your own feelings isn't good."

"I guess you're right. Thanks for the help."

"That's what friends do."

Hotaru nodded. "And a few months ago, I would have never thought friends could be such a good thing to have."

Usagi watched Hotaru walk away for a few seconds before she decided to follow suit. It was surprising, Hotaru had looked so cold, unemotional, unfriendly at first, but underneath that icy layer was a nice, friendly girl.

"Kage, we need to talk."

Kage noticed Hotaru's tone, and sighed. "Okay. I suppose it's not something you can tell me here."

"You suppose right. Let's go outside."

"What's up with her?"

Usagi looked at Mako. "She's just being herself."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry about that," Usagi said. "Since Kage left, how about fighting me instead?"

Mako smiled. "Of course. I don't mind which friend I use as a punching bag."

"Assuming you can hit me at all," Usagi teased.

"... Hey now, don't go and turn into Terry." Mako muttered, causing Usagi to laugh.

* * *

Kage was worried, he knew Hotaru enough to know whatever she had to say was troubling her. "I'm listening."

Hotaru looked at him. "I once told you I didn't know if what I felt for you would go from like to... To love."

Kage waited and listened. It was strange for Hotaru to use that word, but he didn't want to give himself false hopes.

"But now I know... Kage, you're my best friend and I don't want to lose that, but I've been giving this a lot of thinking, and-"

"You want us to be friends, nothing more," Kage said, his face unreadable.

Hotaru stared at him. "Yes, and I don't want you to-"

Kage smiled. "I'm not mad at you, Hotaru. It hurts a bit, but... I'll be fine."

She noticed he was starting to walk away. "Wait, where are you going?"

"Home," Kage said. "I need to think about this, too."

"Kage, I'm sorry."

He stopped walking for a second, and looked back at her. "Don't apologize, you've done nothing wrong."

Hotaru watched him leave and smiled sadly. That was just like Kage, pretending not to be upset just so she wouldn't feel upset as well.

* * *

Mako sat on the ground, recovering her breath. "Shit, Hakko is right, your dodging is beyond 'good.'"

"And I've trained to improve it," Usagi said. "I-" she stopped as the elevator's doors opened, and saw Hotaru walk in. "Are you okay?"

Hotaru sat on a bench and looked at Usagi. "It went better than I thought, but that's not saying a lot."

Terry walked to them. "Hey, why the sad face? Where's Hiyama?"

"I... I think the correct term here would be that I 'dumped' him."

"Oh."

"What, no sarcastic remarks?" Hotaru said, her voice colder than she had wanted it to sound.

"It's no laughing matter," Terry said, ignoring her tone. "But you two get along, I don't think he'll be angry at you."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm not sure of what to think about myself right now."

Terry stared at her. "Let's fight."

"I'm not in the mood."

"Repressing anger, or any other hurtful feeling, will only feed them and make them stronger. When I'm angry or worried, I sometimes just grab a weapon and start fighting some imaginary foes. Trust me, you'll feel better."

"If that's the case, then I won't fight you."

"Why?"

Hotaru stood up and walked to an empty part of the room. "Because I've already hurt one of my friends today. Saturn Twilight Power."

Usagi saw Saturn summon her glaive and start swinging it around. "I hope she'll be okay."

Saturn kept swinging her glaive again and again, trying to let all her anger out. She kept fighting her imaginary foe for a few minutes, but suddenly stopped. The way she was swinging her glaive, and the speed she was using, if she could use those together with her magic then perhaps she could- Well, it was worth a try. "Saturn... Grim... Barrage!"

Usagi had been watching her practice, and was surprised to see that. Saturn had used the same motions of her Grim Wave, but had swung her glaive in a seemingly random pattern, unleashing several thin waves of death magic, instead of the normal, large one. "Don't tell me she just-"

Saturn looked at Usagi and smiled. "Now I know how you did it."

"Rage is a bad ally, but can be an excellent teacher," Terry said. "Or at least that's what Hakko told me."

Aiko appeared near him. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have detected multiple entities attacking the city."

"Another large army?" Usagi asked.

"No, there's not that many of them, but at the same time, they may pose a greater threat to you."

Terry sighed. "So, what is it this time?"

"Does the name Ryu Hoshi sound familiar to you?"

Terry flinched. "Oh joy, Street Fighter."

Aiko looked at the screen, which showed Ryu wrecking a car. "However, they aren't fighting civilians, just wrecking things."

Saturn looked at Aiko. "She sounds a lot more human now."

Terry nodded. "We've been working on that, but there's no true self-awareness there. I don't know what's missing."

"A soul. I can't sense any in her."

"Cool. Wonder if anyone knows how to program a soul."

"Should I contact the Hunters?" Aiko asked.

Terry smiled. "No, this is the perfect chance to see if all the training paid off."

Mako cracked her knuckles. "This will be fun."

* * *

Mars had been the first one to find the enemy, and couldn't help but smile as she thought about what his 'element' was. "I had to get the freakiest one."

Dhalsim was just sitting there, meditating, but suddenly floated up and opened his eyes. "I was wondering when one of you would show up."

Mars didn't bother answering, she simply rushed forwards, going for a straight to the face. Dhalsim, however, vanished and appeared right behind her, kicking her back and sending her crashing to the ground. "Fire Soul!"

"Yoga Fire."

Mars knew her attack would be blocked, but she used the small explosion as cover, rushing in and tackling Dhalsim, using a quick combination of kicks and punches to knock the man down. "Let's end this. Fire Tornado!"

"I agree," Dhalsim said and again vanished. "Yoga... Inferno!"

Mars tried to stand up, but her whole body hurt. She hadn't seen the attack, but it had been quite powerful. She saw Dhalsim looming over her and winced. "I won't lose, I..."

"Yoga..."

The Fire Senshi stood up quickly, fighting the pain, and grabbed Dhalsim's throat, stopping his attack. "Game over. Fire Tornado!" This time, Dhalsim was turned into a human pyre for a few seconds, and there was nothing left of him once the fire died out. Mars sighed and fell back down, the pain from his attack finally getting her now that the battle was over. Up to now, the enemies had been mostly too weak to consider them a threat, but this time around-

Mars winced as she realized something. Maybe that was Game Master's plan all along? Make your enemies think your army's weak, then send your best soldiers out when they are sure of their victory.

"Rei?"

Mars looked up at Yuichiro. "Hi."

The man looked at her and flinched. "The back of your suit's all burnt, what the heck happened?"

Mars tried to stand up, but only managed to sit up. "Had to fight a character from Street Fighter. They're tougher than they look."

"Need me to bring you to a hosp-"

"No." Mars said. "If I go as Rei, it will raise a lot of questions, and I can't just go there as Mars. Besides, we Senshi heal faster than humans. I need to help my friends, so-"

"You're in no condition to help anyone," Yuichiro said sternly.

"Hmph, you can't stop me from trying."

"You may heal fast, but that will still take a while. What help can you be to them like this?"

Mars gave him a short glare, then stood up... And fell on her back a second later, letting out a yelp of pain. "Damn it, why now?"

"Please, stop being so stubborn for once, Rei."

He looked really worried, and Mars knew he was right, no matter how much she wanted to help the others, she wouldn't be able to fight for a few hours, at least. "Okay."

* * *

"Come here, little girl!"

Mercury barely managed to dodge as the large man tried to tackle her. Fighting him at melee range wasn't an option, as his range was much wider than hers, and she could guess getting a punch from him would hurt a lot. "I'm no little girl," she said, trying to come up with a plan. If Terry was there, he could- No! She couldn't depend on him to take the shots for her, she would win this one on her own. "Frozen Rage!"

Her foe, Zangief, moved too fast for something so large. He jumped over her attack, spinning in mid-air and hitting her with a backhand charged with energy, which sent Mercury flying back half a block.

"Okay, _big girl, _show me what you can do, 'cause that can't be your best."

Mercury staggered up, trying to focus. She couldn't keep on dodging, and her attacks had been deflected or dodged easily. And going melee was still not an option, as his reach- No, that was it, she had a way to win this.

Zangief grew tired of waiting and rushed in once again, but Mercury was expecting that. She summoned her tonfa, waiting until the very last second before she rammed both into the ground. "Ice Angel." A shower of ice and snow shot upwards from under Zangief's feet, and he was rapidly encased in ice. Mercury looked at the ice 'statue' and noticed it was starting to fall apart. "Not dead yet, I guess."

The wrestler broke free from his ice prison, and noticed Mercury was just standing there. "Hey, you giving up, miss? That's no fun."

Mercury smiled as ice blades longer than Zangief's arms came out from her tonfa. "No, I was just analyzing the battle, and figuring out a way to defeat you for good."

"Hah! Analyzing? That's boring, let's just punch each other until one of us drops!"

Mercury's smile vanished. "Okay." She started trying to slash at him, but the man dodged each swipe. After a minute of this, Mercury leapt back, and summoned her attack. "Frozen Rage!"

Zangief leapt over the attack and laughed. "That won't work, miss!"

"I know," Mercury noted, her smile a sound effect away from a chuckle. "Ice Angel!" "Ice Geiser!"

The first attack froze Zangief, while the second caused the ice to turn a deep blue. Mercury scanned it with her visor and sighed as she fall on her knees. "Finally."

"Mother, are you okay?"

Mercury looked at the image in her visor. "A bit bruised, that's all. What about the others?"

"They're still fighting. Mars is done with her foe, but got quite a beating, so she told me she would not be able to help. After analyzing what little data I could get from her fight, I must admit the abilities of these Street Fighter characters are far above what I expected."

Mercury blinked in surprise. Aiko sounded... Worried? No, it should just be her mind playing tricks on her. "This fight wasn't like the ones before," she finally agreed, "I guess Game Master was trying to lull us into believing his attacks would be always easily dealt with."

"Will you help the others?"

Mercury stood up and nodded. "Tell me where the closest fight is."

"Father is fighting someone five blocks north of your position."

"Got it." Mercury couldn't help but smile. Aiko had started calling them 'mother' and 'father', but that wasn't part of her programming. Perhaps there was a bit of self-awareness there, or perhaps it was a bug, but a part of her wished it was no bug at all.

* * *

"Oh my, I see I must face a beautiful one."

Venus looked at the masked man standing on top of a truck. Vega. That guy had always seemed creepy to her, but perhaps he wasn't that bad after all. "Uh, thanks for the compliment."

"Not as beautiful as me, though. Then again, nothing ever is."

Okay, so he was as creepy as she thought. "If you think you're pretty, why do you cover your face?"

"Because my beauty must not be harmed by anyone. It's a pity I'll have to harm yours."

Venus let out a sigh. 'Let sleeping beauties lie,' as the saying went. "So, besides being looking at yourself in the mirror, what else can you do?"

"Glad you asked."

Venus barely managed to dodge as Vega flew at her claw-first, but the man bounced on a wall and leapt at her again, this time slashing her leg. "Damn, now I'm mad."

Vega smiled and leapt up, hanging from the side of a building with his claw. "I'm too fast for you, Venus."

"We'll see about that," Venus said. "Crescent Whip!" Vega leapt right over the light wave, but that was actually part of Venus' plan. She lashed forwards, wrapping her whip on the man's waist as he fell, and using his momentum to send him sailing past her, slamming on a tree behind her. "Hope that didn't hurt... Little."

Vega stood up, his mask falling to the ground as it had been broken by the impact. He had a thin line of blood running from his forehead, and he licked the blood before glaring at Venus. "You dare hurting my face? You'll pay for that!"

Venus would usually had been fast enough to dodge, but the pain from her leg was enough to slow her down slightly, and Vega's attack connected easily. The man had rolled on the ground, much like a ball, and slashed at her with his claw several times before punching her away with his other hand.

Her suit had stopped the claws from digging into her flesh, but she still felt the hits. She knelt on the ground, noticing Vega was preparing to repeat the same trick again. "There's no beauty in someone with a mind as wicked as yours."

Vega glared at her. "What? I'm the most perfect-"

"Shut up and fight, creep."

"Hmph. As you wish, oh fair lady," Vega said mockingly, then repeated his attack.

This time, however, Venus was ready for him. "Crescent Whip!" Vega couldn't stop his attack in time, and the wave smashed straight into him, knocking him back against the same tree as before, but this time with enough force to knock the tree down. Venus noticed Vega staggering up, and shook her head. "Don't know when to give up?"

Vega could only raise to his knees, and coughed up some blood as he tried to stand up. "Damn it, Venus, I'm going to-"

"Twilight V-Laser." The beam shot straight through Vega's chest, and Venus sighed as Vega fell to the ground, his body vanishing seconds later. She looked at her leg and flinched, it was bleeding, although not enough to stop her from walking. "I should have known, videogames always kick my ass."

* * *

**A/N:** The title of this chapter is a game I would play all the time, unless they let Moon keep all her tricks. "Press up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, punch, kick and start to activate the Ginzuishou and kill everyone else."

Pointless trivia: The file I have for the techniques (attacks and others, like healing or teleportation techs) used in this fic is right now around five thousand words long. And thanks to things seen in the last few chapters, it will keep on growing.


	55. Round two

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 55: Round Two.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: May 20, 2013_

* * *

Jupiter barely missed being rolled over for the tenth time. This was quite annoying, her electric attacks didn't phase her foe at all, and he was both stronger and faster than her. Also, he was ugly as hell. She would have to think of a different strategy, if she wanted to win the fight.

Blanka growled at her. "You... Strong... Me... Stronger."

"Physical power isn't everything in a fight," Jupiter noted. Okay, so that's what Hakko and Terry said, but did she really have anything other than physical power and lightning blasts to fight with?

"Senshi... Die."

Jupiter dodged again, but this time Blanka leapt back out of his 'ball' form, and right behind her, using one of his electric shocks at point blank range. She was knocked back, but Blanka wasn't quite done, he leapt up, using his rolling dash from above, and smashing Jupiter hard enough to crack the concrete beneath her.

"Damn, this is..." She winced as she tried to stand up. It was pointless, Blanka was too strong and fast, she- No, the others would probably be facing enemies as tough as this, she couldn't just wait to be rescued. She couldn't give up. If her foe was faster and stronger... Then perhaps she could use that to her advantage.

Blanka growled again. "Giving... Up?"

"Do your worst."

Blanka complied, using his rolling attack again, but this time Jupiter was ready for it. She used her hammer to knock him away. She knew that wouldn't stop him, but she had a plan and she was about to show the green man how strong she could be. She saw him bounce into a tree and fall from above, still rolling, and smiled. "If Usagi and Hotaru can do it, so can I. Supreme Thunder Dragon..." The attack was mostly the same as always, except the dragon screeched and shot straight into Jupiter's body, instead of rushing at the enemy. Jupiter leapt up as the electricity from the construct all gathered in her hand, delivering a mighty uppercut to the incoming beastman. "... Punch!"

"Me... Not die... Yet."

Jupiter smirked. She had to admit Blanka was stronger than she thought, he had taken both the electricity and her punch, and still staggered up. However, he was visibly in no shape to keep fighting. "Give up."

"Me defeat you!"

Blanka had been too fast, so Jupiter had no time to dodge. He was shooting electricity in all directions from his body, and this time the arcs reached a good fifty meters around him. Jupiter managed to get away from the attack, but still got a nice serving of electricity from it. And, she noticed, the 'dome' of electricity was growing steadily. She knew she couldn't get close to him, and her ranged blasts would not cause much harm to him. She was running out of power, so what- She suddenly noticed something and smiled. "Supreme Thunder!"

"You miss? Aaaargh!"

Jupiter couldn't help but flinch, it was painful to watch, really. She had 'used' a water tank which was on a building right besides Blanka by blasting a hole into it, and the water had fallen over him, causing the electricity from his own attack to backlash and fry him on the spot. "I guess I'll never use my magic on a rainy day," she muttered before walking away, looking for the closest enemy attack she knew about.

* * *

"Tiger Knee!"

How could something so freaking tall move so fast? Nemesis was glad they had taken training seriously for the last few months, because her old self would have been knocked around by this fighter rather easily. Still, he hadn't felt the few punches she had managed to connect, and the one kick she had been hit had made her right arm go numb.

"Tiger!"

She used her spear to cut through the attack, cancelling it. "I think this is a stalemate."

Sagat gave her a mocking grin. "Really? I don't think so. I'm just getting warmed up, while you're almost out of breath. You can't keep dodging forever."

She knew that, and that was the problem. She didn't think trying to attack would do any good to her, she was better at dodging. But in this case, perhaps...

_'Improving what you're already good at is good, but real evolution comes from overcoming your own flaws.'_

Those had been things she heard Hakko tell to Usagi, and she now saw he was right, and it didn't just apply to Usagi. She had to try attacking, or she would lose this fight for sure.

Sagat saw the girl tossing her spear at him, and smiled, reaching sideways to catch it. However, that distracted him for a second, and as he turned to gloat at the girl, he was rewarded with a fist to the face. "Ow, that actually did hurt, bitch."

Nemesis saw Sagat toss her spear away, and sighed. Perhaps it was really pointless to- She frowned. Usagi could be fighting someone as strong as Sagat, or even stronger, and she knew her friend wouldn't give up, so why was she giving up? "Nightshade."

Sagat screamed as his own shadow hurt him, but smiled despite the pain. "Finally, you're being a challenge. Tiger Knee! Tiger Uppercut!"

Nemesis was knocked back, then sent flying up, and she knew Sagat was charging up energy for something, and she couldn't dodge it while falling. Still, there was one more thing she could do, the only thing she could think of. "Die."

"Tig-" Sagat stopped and looked down in shock. No, he hadn't imagined the pain, he could see the tip of Nemesis' spear sticking out from his chest. "... Impressive."

Nemesis fell to the ground with a loud thud, but smiled. That hadn't been easy at all, but at least she had won. She sat up and then looked around. "Too bad I'm in no shape to help the others."

"Guess I'm late."

Nemesis saw Jupiter walking to her, and nodded. "Just done fighting."

"Who was it?"

"Sagat."

"Heh, I would have liked fighting him."

Nemesis stood up. "Let's go, I can't just sit around."

Jupiter nodded. "Who knows, we may see someone fighting Scorpion in the next area."

Nemesis blinked at that. "Uh, wrong game."

* * *

"Cannon Drill!"

Earth rolled to the side to avoid being hit, but that let her other foe kick her in the ribs. She knew Lilith was also there, but she also had her hands full. As if Cammy alone wasn't enough, they had to also fight Juni and Juli, and either of them was fast and strong enough to keep up with the two Senshi. After using one claw to block another kick, she leapt back and away, noticing Lilith had mimicked her, and they were now back to back. "This is fun, huh?"

"Not really. Why are you fighting two of them?"

"You're not as skiled as me, so I-"

"If you kids won't attack, then I will!" Cammy snapped and rushed at them.

Lilith smiled. "I appreciate you worrying about me, but you should know my powers make up for my lack of fighting skills."

Earth gasped as Cammy hit Lilith, who didn't move... Or, actually, Cammy flew straight through her. "An illusion?"

Cammy landed from her flying kick and looked back in confusion. Before she could figure out what was happening, a couple daggers came from the side, stabbing her arm, and she yelled in pain. "Damn it, how the heck-"

"Where is she?"

Earth saw Juli was distracted, so she tackled her, slashing her chest with her claws before sending her flying back with a kick. However, Juni and Cammy rushed at her, and she was again fighting two foes. Juni slipped on a small patch of water and fell down, and Earth stomped hard on her. However, she knew Lilith couldn't keep on helping her, so she had to try and finish them off fast. "Ground Ripper!"

Cammy and Juni leapt up, dodging her attack, and both dropped down fast, before Earth could recover, kicking her and sending her crashing to the ground.

Lilith was waiting for the right time to attack. She couldn't use her illusion again, so she would have to rely on her weapons and her luck. She noticed Juli had returned. She knew Karin was good with her fists, but three against one wasn't a fair fight at all. She had to help her friend, and if her power wasn't enough, then she knew what to do. "Lilith Twilight Power!"

"Oh, so there she was," Juni commented.

Lilith didn't waste a second, jumping out of her hiding spot as soon as her transformation had ended. She then smiled as their three foes started walking to her. "Fire Illusion."

Earth saw a bubble of flames wrap around the three girls, and gasped. "Now that's a neat trick."

Lilith's attack, however, didn't last long, as it ate up her energy faster than her 'clones' did. She fell to one knee, noticing Juni had fallen to the ground and wasn't standing up. "Ugh... I'm sorry, Karin."

Earth smiled. "Don't worry, I'll take care of them." She looked at her foes. Juni was gone, Juli was barely standing, and even Cammy seemed tired. Even if that fire had been just an illusion, it had still damaged them. But Earth knew she had barely any power left, and couldn't risk trying to melee those two. Even tired as they were, they could still be dangerous. "Hey, Chie."

"What?"

"Don't hate me for always being one step ahead," Earth said with a smirk. "Earth Star Power!"

Cammy and Juli both knew that was bad, and they both charged forwards. "Get her!"

"Too late," Earth said as her transformation ended. "Earth..." She knelt on the ground, touching it with both hands, and energy gathered in them. "... Dirt..." She rose slowly, her palms now facing upwards, and as she did, a cloud of dust appeared around her two foes, causing them to stop and look around in confusion. "... Cage!"

The dust suddenly gathered on her two targets, and Lilith could hear them scream. Juli's screams suddenly ceased, and as the dust vanished, both fell to the ground, but only Cammy stood up.

Cammy smiled in victory, seeing both Earth and Lilith were out of power. "You are good, but not good enough to-" She then backflipped, barely missing being crushed by a falling satellite dish. "Wha-"

Lilith saw metal tips coming out of Cammy's stomach, and saw her slump to the ground, dead. "That's what I call teamwork."

Earth walked to her. "What's with that new attack of yours? Can you really use fire?"

"No, it's not actual fire, but their minds feel the effects they should feel, the heat, the pain, and even lack of oxygen." Lilith paused for a few seconds. "I can also create a fake electric field, or make them think they're in the north pole and close to freezing to death."

"Cute."

"Yeah, but it... Really drains me." Lilith looked at Earth. "What about that dust thing you used? How did it kill one of them?"

"It's a bit hard to explain. I 'mark' the center of a foe's body, and then have the dust try and get there. While wrapped in that dirt, they can't breathe, they can't see, and they're slowly being crushed inwards."

"Fun."

"Think the others will need help?" Earth saw Lilith's eyes widening, and frowned. "Chie?"

"You should worry about yourself."

"Game Master..."

The man smiled. "Hey, why the glares? I thought you girls would want to fight me. After all, if you defeat me, then the game will be over."

Lilith laughed humorlessly. "So that's your excuse, cheater?"

Game Master's usually calm, mocking tone became fierce. "What did you call me?"

"It's what you are. You send those Street Fighter goons to tire us down, and only then attack us? You're nothing but a cheater."

"Say what you want, but I'm still going t-"

"Golden Claw."

Earth saw Game Master fly off the roof he had been standing on. "What the heck?"

Lilith looked up. "Was that one of the Huntresses?"

Game Master floated up, glaring in the direction of the roof. "Huh? You just keep coming out of the woodwork, don't you?"

"Golden Claw."

The man smiled. "Not going to work twice. Die!"

Lilith gasped as Game Master shot a tall, yellow energy wave at the roof. "Fuck, he can use Kamehameha too?"

Earth was looking up. "But whoever attacked him-"

"Golden Claw!"

"-Apparently blocked that attack."

"Hey, don't run away, you bitch!"

Lilith saw Game Master fly out of the way, and blinked in confusion. "Okay, what the heck just happened?"

"No idea, but let's get out of here before he remembers he was going to blast us to atoms."

* * *

"Give up, you can't beat us both."

Saturn hated to admit it, but the blonde joke was right. While not familiar to these two characters, she had heard them talk to each other, so she knew their names. And despite the harmless look of both, they had proven to be good. Too damn good. And she was running out of stamina. "If I can't beat you both, then I'll just have to kill one of you first."

"Just try!" the blonde, Karin, snapped before dashing forwards. Saturn tried to block her attack, but the result was the same as the last four times, Karin hit Saturn's arms with her open palms twice, then completed her attack with a rising kick, which sent Saturn flying up.

And Sakura, the other girl, was waiting for this. She leapt up, delivering a strong flying kick which sent Saturn crashing to the ground with a loud thud.

"Hmph, I was told the Senshi were dangerous, but this one's just a weak girl."

"You on the other hand are so damn brave, tag-teaming her."

Saturn looked up. "Kage..."

Dragon Sun smiled. "Take a break, I'll take care of them."

Karin smiled. "Here comes a new challenger."

Dragon Sun stared at her, then shook his head. "Yeah, I guess someone had to say that line."

"Hadoken!"

The Dragon reached his hand forwards, his gun appearing in it, and then smiled. "Plasma Shot."

The 'bullet' tore through Sakura's attack and hit her. Karin glared at him as her friend was knocked down. "You bring a gun to a fist fight? That's cheap."

"Shut up and fight. Plasma Shot."

Karin leapt right over the bullet, and fell to him with a drop kick. As he went down, she ducked and kicked up, Causing him to stagger back.

"Midare Zakura."

Saturn saw Dragon Sun fall near her and grimaced. Sakura's fast flurry of punches and kicks had been too much for the Dragon. She had to heal him, but had no energy left to do so, and trying while the two were still up and ready to fight- She felt something in her mind, and glared at the two girls. "Playtime's over. Saturn Star Power."

"A cute new suit won't save you!" Karin snapped.

"Wait, Karin, don't-" Sakura started, but it was already too late.

Saturn saw the blonde rushing in and smiled. "Thanks for making it easy for me. Saturn..." She summoned her net, something she had not used yet in a real fight, and tossed it up. "... Reaper's..." The net turned a sickly green color, and fell straight to Karin, ensnaring her. "... Embrace!"

Sakura's face lost color as Karin fell to the ground, screaming in pain for a few seconds before it stopped. As the net vanished, Karin just laid there, motionless, then vanished. "You... Damn you!"

Saturn was still up. Her net's attack actually drained energy from its target, giving it to her, which let her use another attack. "Saturn..." She summoned her glaive, slashing the air twice in a cross pattern, and leaving a visible, black, cross-shaped energy construct in front of her. She touched the construct with her free hand, then smiled coldly. "Death..." The 'cross' shot forwards, spinning rapidly as it approached Sakura. The girl leapt up and over it, and thought it was over for a split second, before noticing Saturn's smile hadn't faltered. "... Mark!"

Dragon Sun was in too much pain to help, but was still able to see saturn's new attacks. And this last one... It had cut right through Sakura's body, and the girl had vanished instantly. "That's awesome, in a creepy way."

"Thanks," Saturn said as she walked to him, kneeling besides him as she started healing him. "I wouldn't have won if you hadn't helped me."

"All I did was getting beaten up."

"That's what the Dragons are good for, right?"

Dragon Sun laughed, then looked at her. "About what happened earlier... Don't worry, I knew it could end like this. And even if you don't feel the way I do, I still consider you one of my closest friends."

"That's how I feel, too," Saturn admitted. "I'm sure you'll find someone who can return your feelings, someday."

"I hope you find someone you can fall in love with, too," Dragon Sun said, "even if it's not me, seeing you happy makes me happy."

Saturn smiled, then looked around. "Can you walk?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go see if we can help the others."

Dragon Sun stood up. "I doubt they need help. I mean, if _you _killed two of them..."

Saturn shook her head as they started walking away. "Kage, don't make me glaive you."

* * *

**A/N:** Last time I wrote this particular 'crossover' I didn't show all the fights. Looking back, it's kind of silly to fast-forwards through those fights, in a fic which ended up being insanely long anyhow.

And yeah, there's a bit of anachronism here, as there's fighters and techniques which I'm quite sure weren't around yet in the early nineties. I'll just blame Game Master's modding.

As for Dragon Moon, since I got several comments about that, I said he 'may' not be around because, like several other plot points, it's still in a neutral area. I feel like I will have too many characters around, and brought the last few "first generation" Senshi far too late into the story in Cyber Moon, but... That could be fixed, too. Time will tell.


	56. Final fight

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 56: Final Fight.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: June 4, 2013_

* * *

Nova could sense the Senshi, they were apparently engaging a lot of foes right now. She was facing one of them, but with her abilities, this was proving to be a very boring battle.

"Die already!"

The man tried to head-slam her once again, and once again crashed into a psi wall she created. "Aren't you tired of trying the same thing again and again?"

Honda laughed at that. "You're right, I'll try something different. Old man!"

Nova sensed movement behind her, but couldn't dodge fast enough. She slumped to the ground, feeling a stinging pain in her legs. The man who had just run past her turned, and she saw his eyes were those of one who didn't feel any remorse. "Damn, you guys can't play fair."

"Fairness is the excuse of the dead," the man said. "Now stand still, and this will be over in a second."

Nova smiled. She couldn't move her legs, but that didn't mean she couldn't move at all. As the man rushed in, she simply teleported out of the way. "I think I'll have to start being unfair, too."

"Firestorm."

Gen was hit by a rising column of flames, and Nova looked to the side. "I may not need the reinforcements, but thanks anyway."

Mira nodded. "They're not down yet."

Gen glared up at the two. "So, you can levitate. That could be a problem for us."

"Old man, how about giving me a lift?"

Gen stared at him. "If you've got a plan-"

Honda leapt at the man, feet first. "Make a guess!"

Gen snorted, then hit the man's feet with his fists, propelling him up and above the two girls. "There you go."

Honda let out a battle cry, then spun in mid-air, somehow managing to propel himself forwards and straight at his two opponents. Nova tried to block him with a psi shield, but he punched right through it, and knocked both of them down, falling on top of Nova, who screamed in pain.

"Hey, knocked out already?" Honda mused as he noticed Nova was seemingly out cold.

Mira growled. "Damn it, now you've made me angry."

"Hmph, and what will you do about it?"

Mira smiled and vanished, appearing right behind Honda, and stabbing through him with an icy blade. "This."

Gen saw the girl was giving him her back, staring at Honda as he slumped to the ground, dead. Such foolishness, it would cause her death, but such a thing didn't phase him, the unskilled deserved no mercy. He rushed forwards, preparing to stab through her heart with his bare hand, but something stopped him dead on his track. "What is..."

Nova staggered up, smiling. "I must admit you're good at close range combat, but you don't know much about my powers. I don't need to see you to know where you are, so I decided to play dead until I had a chance to strike." She knew the man couldn't speak back, she was making sure of it. "I could just stop every muscle of your body, your lungs, your heart, until you die, but... I'm not heartless, and killing you like this would prove you right." She turned to look at Mira. "Stand back."

"But..."

"Trust me."

Gen noticed movement returning to his arms and legs, and laughed coldly. "Compassion, fairness, they're all weaknesses. Die!"

Mira saw the man shooting forwards, straight at Nova, but Nova moved out of the way, turning around quickly and hitting him with a point blank psi shot, which pierced right through his chest. "Holy crap. How did you do that? Some kind of buff spell?"

"No, I just realized I had to stop fooling around and fight for real. Got to admit this guy was the third rival I ever faced who forced me to use my real speed."

Mira could easily guess who the other two were. She looked around and smiled. "Only one area is still under attack."

Nova nodded. "Yeah, and Moon is there. But if what I'm sensing of her foes is true, she'll need all the help she can get."

"Let's go," Mira said, and the two vanished.

* * *

"Sonic Boom!"

Dragon Mercury dodged to the side, and the energy blast missed him. However, that let his other foe take a shot at him. Or more like a thousand shots, the Dragon thought as he was sent flying back by a quick flurry of kicks. "Damn, you two are actually good. I'll have to stop messing around."

"Bluffin won't save you," Chun-Li snapped. "Kikko-ken!"

The Dragon rushed straight at the attack, dodging it at the very last second, but Chun-Li was ready for this, and kicked forwards. However, the Dragon countered this by rolling under her, slashing her back with one sword. "Who's bluffing?"

"Sonic Boom! Sonic Boom!"

The Dragon backflipped to dodge the first blast, and leapt over the second one, but as he landed, Guile was already besides him. Again, he was kicked back, and he rolled to the side to avoid Chun-Li's flying kick. He then leapt back and away, quite aware that facing these two on his own wouldn't be easy.

"Shabon Spray Freezing!"

Fortunately, he wouldn't have to face them alone. "I think I trained you a little too well, if you're already done with your foes..."

"There was only one large russian man. Wasn't easy to defeat, but I improvised."

Guile looked around. "Hey, what kind of cheap trick is this?"

Mercury smiled. "Should we do this the easy way?"

"You know I like the fun way better," Dragon Mercury noted.

Mercury called out the mist. "I may still have energy left for that."

"Should have stayed hidden in the mist, boy," Guile snapped. "Sonic Boom!"

The Dragon cut the blast in half with his sword. "How about we show them our move?"

"I have a better idea," Mercury said, and looked at Guile. "Are you man enough to fight me?"

"Hey, that's _my _line!" Guile snapped. "But if you want to have that pretty face of yours punched, then be my guest!"

The only drawback of her newest attack was that it only worked in a very short range, but fortunately she had seen Terry taunt foes into melee range before, so she knew how to do it. She smiled as Guile rushed in, and slammed both tonfa into the ground as energy gathered in them quickly. "Ice Angel!"

"Shit, that's awesome," Dragon Mercury said.

"And it was apparently more effective this time around," Mercury noted, as Guile didn't get out of the ice.

Chun-Li knew things had gone very wrong, but wasn't about to give up yet. "You have your fancy tricks, I'll give you that, but you haven't seen mine!"

Mercury took a step back as she saw the readings in her visor. "I don't know what she'll do, but it will be powerful."

"Shit, I know what she's doing. Get back!"

"Kikou-Sou!" The warning was almost too late, and the two Mercuries watched in shock as a large, cyan sphere of energy formed around Chun-Li, vaporizing everything around her. The fightress was, however, kneeling on the ground as the attack ended. "I don't think we would have survived that," Mercury noted.

Dragon Mercury saw the girl trying to stand up. "Can't you just retreat? You're almost too hot to kill."

Chun-Li stood in a battle-ready pose. "If I give up, Game Master's going to destroy me anyhow. Do your worst."

"Frozen Rage."

Dragon Mercury looked at Mercury as their foe vanished, noticing she was down on her knees. "Are you okay?"

"Yes, but I used too much mana."

"Think the others will need help?"

After looking around, Mercury sighed. "I'm only picking one area still under attack, and from my readings, Moon is there... But there's someone with a lot of powere there, other than her enemies."

"Game Master again?"

"It's not him, or I would be able to identify him," Mercury said. "Let's go."

"But you're out of-"

"I recall spending many hours training to be able to fight without relying on my magic."

The Dragon smirked. "You're right."

* * *

Dragon Venus sighed. Of all the fighters he could have faced, he had to get the dumb boxer. "Oh, well, it could have been worse. At least it's not Sean."

"Lemme recover my breath and... I'll punch your face in!"

The Dragon looked at Balrog. "I think it's been proven time and again in the last few minutes that you can't bite as loud as you bark."

"I gotta admit your fancy magic tricks make you hard to catch, but you're forgetting one thing, mage boy."

"Oh, do tell."

"I'm from Shadaloo, I don't play fair."

"What-"

"And stay down!"

Dragon Venus growled as he stood up, noticing the newcomer who had kicked him down was wearing a pink karate gi. "Okay, now I have to fight a brainless boxer and Ryu's clone."

"Hey, you take that back!" Dan snapped.

"I would, but I don't like lying."

"Fine, then-"

"Firebrand."

"Firebrand."

Dragon Venus blinked a few times as his two foes were wrapped in identical columns of fire, and then noticed the two girls standing on top of a truck. "Hey, I had them under control."

"You're welcome," Circe said, noticing there was nothing left of their foes, then paused for a second. "From what I sense, all enemies are down except for the ones Sailor Moon is fighting."

The Dragon sighed. "So it's going to be one of those fights, huh?"

Calisto frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We go there, get beaten up by those guys, and then Moon beats them."

"Sounds about right."

* * *

"Hadoken!"

"Hadoken!"

Moon dove to the side to avoid the attacks. Sure, she wasn't all that confident in her melee skills, but these two were making that a moot point, since they just kept on using their boring energy balls to keep them at bay. And both Ryu and Ken had punched her tiara and her discs away whenever she tried to counter. Their third enemy worried her, however, as he wasn't making a move to attack.

Dragon Earth knew they were both running out of energy, so he decided to try something. "Stone Stab!" He rushed forwards as soon as his attack started, leaping over it, and preparing to shoot a second blast from above.

However, one of their foes was ready for this. Moon saw the man in red jumping up and delivering a strong kick to the Dragon's midsection, sending him crashing down to the ground near her. "You hurt him, now I'm going to have to hurt you."

"Just try, little girl," the man snapped.

"We'll deal with her, Bison, you keep an eye for any reinforcements."

"Who made you the boss, Masters?"

"Moonlight... Pulse!"

Ryu and Ken both leapt out of the way, but Moon was expecting that. She used her board to knock Bison into Ryu, knocking them both down, and got ready to attack Ken. However, someone else beat her to the punch.

"Hado- Urk."

Moon saw Venus standing right behind Ken's body, holding a bloodied sword (which swiftly turned back into her whip,) and smiled. "Thanks for the help."

"Guess the saying was right, the shortest way to a man's heart is through his ribcage."

Moon blinked a few times in confusion, but then remembered there were more foes to take care of. "Can you fight?"

Venus looked at her leg. The wound had already closed, but she was out of energy to shoot anything. Still... "I can kick their asses without using any blast, so yeah."

Bison stood up. "They took care of the garbage, that's nice."

Ryu frowned. "Hey!"

"Focus, kid, we can punch each other out after we're done killing those two weak girls."

Right then, the rest of the Senshi appeared, along with the sidekicks. Nova gave a thumbs up then fell to her knees. "Shit, all that phasing around sucked me dry."

Ryu knew things weren't going as planned. "I suppose the rest of the gang's gone."

"They were all weaklings," a voice said from the shadows, "but I will take care of them."

"Akuma? Weren't you supposed to deal with someone else?"

"Taking care of small fry is pointless, so I decided to come and defeat the leader of these Senshi."

"Saturn Death Mark."

Akuma stared at the attack as it sped to him, then punched it, disrupting it without even flinching. "Hmph. Is any of you kids strong enough to amuse me?"

"Moonlight Pulse!"

Akuma deflected each and every energy ball, and smiled as Moon staggered back. "Hah! tired already? So useless."

"Okay, anyone's got energy left to shut these morons up?"

Mercury looked at Dragon Mercury, who nodded. "Mercury..."

"Blizzard..."

"Fangs!"

Bison phased out of the way as Mercury tossed her swords, but as he appeared, he sensed something, and turned in time to parry Warwitch's staff. "It will take much more than that to sneak up on me."

"I knew I wouldn't hit you," Warwitch said, then backflipped away from him.

"What-"

"Ice Angel!"

Dragon Mercury saw the ice around Bison had started cracking as soon as it formed, and frowned as a pair of small blue spheres appeared in his hands. "Oh no, you won't. Mercury Blizzard..." The two spheres shone with a cyan hue, and he tossed them straight at his foe before finishing his attack phrase. "...Shroud."

Nova noticed something as Bison's ice became a solid white block. "Hey, the swords didn't do anything!"

"I knew he would dodge that," Mercury explained, "and I was almost out of energy, so I planned ahead."

Ryu was meanwhile being attacked by the rest of the Dragons, including Dragon Earth who had recovered from Bison's hit. Their foe wasn't getting any noticeable damage, but he also hadn't been able to hit any of them.

"Damn it, I'm not going to give up. Shinkuu..."

"Oh hell no," Dragon Sun muttered, looking at Dragon Venus, who nodded. "Orion's Wall."

"... Hadoken!"

Dragon Venus smiled. "Sigma's Tower."

Ryu's attack crashed into a solid wall of mana, and he frowned before deciding to try again. "Shinkuu..."

"Flamelash."

"Flametongue."

"Fire Storm."

"Hey, not again!" Dragon Venus shouted as Ryu was carbonized by the three fire attacks.

"We're just helping," Calisto said with a shrug.

Akuma looked at his foes. They were all visibly tired, but still stood defiant. He could at least admire their perseverance, even if it was pointless. "You kids are almost amusing, it's such a pity I will have to-"

"Chrono Typhoon."

The Senshi saw Game Master fly out of an alley close to the battlefield, rolling on the ground before he stood up, glaring in the direction he had come from. "The time lady comes to play."

Pluto walked calmly out of the alley, matching Game Master's glare with an emotionless stare. "I haven't interfered before, simply because the Senshi could win. But you're quite a guy, you can't play fair even if you already set the rules."

Mercury understood what she meant. "He was waiting for this to end, anyone who survived this fight would have to fight him."

Akuma turned to the man and let out a snarl. "I wouldn't have let any of them live. But I can sense your power is beyond theirs. Die!"

Pluto sidestepped Akuma's charge, knocking him down with a blow from her staff, then sighed. "As if I would be beaten by a mere puppet. Chrono Break."

"Hey, I saw no attack," Venus noticed.

"Time can't be seen," Pluto said.

Game Master laughed at that. "I knew I would have to deal with you sooner or later, so here goes nothing!"

Pluto looked at the energy beam coming her way dismissively, and simply reached out one hand, the beam stopping milimeters away from it. "As I said, I won't be beaten by a mere puppet. Time Disruptor."

"Shit, did she just kill the final boss?" Earth asked as Game Master vanished.

Pluto smiled at that. "No. I simply moved him forwards in time so he won't bother you for a while."

"How much is 'a while'?"

"One week from now," Pluto said. "I would advise you to rest, heal and train. Game Master is too strong for you as you are now."

"She's right," Mercury said as Pluto vanished. "Pluto made him look like a wuss, but that's because her power is far above Star level."

"Hey, I know! We go to the base and kick Moon around until she levels up!" Dragon Venus suggested.

"I like that plan," Mars said.

"I don't," Moon muttered.

"In any case, we know he will be back in one week," Dragon Mercury noted, "so I say we take the Time Lady's advice."

Lilith was staring at the spot where Game Master had last been. "Hmm..."

"What's wrong?"

She looked at Earth. "Nothing, but for some reason I feel like I've seen that man before, outside our fights."

"Me too," Nemesis noted, "could he be someone in our school?"

"Knowing how many enemies and allies showed up in our school first, it wouldn't surprise me at all," Mercury admitted.

* * *

**A/N:** This took some time to finish, unlike the last few chapters. Blame Recettear and Drox Operative.


	57. Game City

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 57: Game City.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: July 8, 2013_

* * *

It had been a surprise for most of them, but the 'break' from their current war came with a strange revelation. Usagi knew what Naru's face meant the moment her friend walked in. "So, what happened?"

"Umino wasn't at his house, either. His parents are worried sick about him, said last time they saw him was yesterday."

Usagi flinched. "Why would he be fighting us?"

"Perhaps he's been taken over by evil, like Black Lady was."

Usagi nodded at Terry. "I hope that's the case. We've been friends since we were in kinder, I just can't hurt him."

Aiko walked to them. "After analyzing the collected data, I estimate the chances for Umino Gurio to be Game Master are at ninety-six point five percent."

"Shit."

Terry knew what Naru was thinking, because he had recently gone through something similar. "He's strong, but not invincible. We just need to rough him up a bit and then bring him back to our side."

"That's a nice thought, but we'll need to train if we want to defeat him," Hotaru noted. "And we may have to kill him."

"There has to be another way."

The pale girl looked at Usagi. "I'm not saying we kill him without trying to bring him back, but things may not work out as-"

"It's pointless to argue," Terry said.

"What?"

"You should know Usagi by now, she won't even think about hurting her friends."

"Others, apparently, don't mind trying."

Terry chuckled at Rei's joke. Earth and Jupiter were using a quite strange training method, Earth summoned and threw head-sized rocks at Jupiter, and Jupiter broke them with either her lightning, or her fists. "Is it just me, or is Mako's strength improving?"

"That's a given," Ami said, "the more we use our powers, the better all our abilities will get."

"Hearing those theories is one thing, seeing them in action is another," Terry muttered. "Anyhow, what are _you_ up to?"

"Just checking the base's computer." Ami looked at her computer and smiled. "Somehow, Aiko's code has changed."

"Changed?"

"Improved," Ami noted.

"We haven't touched it for weeks."

Ami nodded. "So my only guess is, it's changing itself."

"There is no data in my records of any change being made," Aiko commented.

"... So she's doing it subconsciously?" Rei asked. "Uh, if there is even such a thing as a subconscious mind in her."

"Should I run scans to locate the problem?" Aiko asked.

"That... No offense, but if my computer can't find any malicious code in you, then-"

"Understood. It's relatively safe to assume these code mutations are a good thing."

"We don't know what's causing them," Terry noted, "but something tells me we should wait and see."

Hakko walked in right then, and looked around. "Hmph, I see my students are taking things as seriously as usual."

"As a matter of fact," Usagi said, "I was waiting for you to arrive."

"Huh? And why is that?"

"I'm going to challenge Game Master to a fight when I see him next time."

"You are?" Most of her friends asked, in shock.

"Yes, I'll use his own ego against him, he hates being called a cheater, so..."

"She's going to put her own conditions. If she wins, Game Master's ego should lead him to stop his attacks."

Rei stared at Terry. "You knew about this?"

"She made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone else, not until she decided she really wanted to go ahead with that plan," Terry said.

Naru frowned. "But that's Umino we're talking about, you-"

"I will try to knock him out, and we can heal him back to normal after the fight's over."

"I don't like that. I don't want to see you get hurt, Usagi. Let us all help."

Hakko looked at Rei. "So, the one time she actually thinks like a leader would, you want to stop her?"

Usagi sighed. "Thanks, I guess?"

"However," Hakko said, "planning before a battle is one thing, but there could be things you're not taking into consideration."

"If Game Master does cheat during our fight," Usagi said, "I trust everyone will show him we don't like cheaters."

Hakko smiled. "Right. Are you ready for the next level of training?"

Usagi summoned her chakram and stood in a defensive pose. "I won't be sure until I try, will I?"

"That's the spirit, Tsukino."

* * *

Three days passed, and even though Usagi was tired from her training, she had to admit it had worked as expected. She wasn't any close to how Hakko fought (or even Terry) but if she had survived Hakko's training, she was sure the Game Master would be relatively easy to deal with.

What she was about to do, however, was on a whole different level. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Yes. I've known them for too long, and seeing them like this just... I need them to know Umino will be back, even if it means I have to tell them who I am." Naru looked at Usagi. "But you don't need to-"

"Umino's my friend, too. He may be weird but he's not a bad guy."

"Heh, I know that." Naru knocked on the door, and the two of them waited. Several seconds later, a woman opened the door, recognizing his son's two friends immediately. "Hello, miss Gurio."

"Hi, girls. Please, come in." Usagi noticed the woman's tone was somber.

Naru let out a small sigh. "I... I lied to you, the other day, when I said I didn't know where Umino was."

"You _what_?"

"There's a reason for her to hide the truth," Usagi explained, "she couldn't tell you until she was really sure-"

"Where is my son?"

"It will be hard to believe unless we explain something about us," Usagi said.

Naru decided it was a good time to drop the bomb. "What would you say if we told you we are Senshi?"

"I would tell you that you better have a way to demonstrate it, because I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"I thought you would say something like that," Naru admitted. "Nemesis Twilight Power!"

"Moon Star Power!"

The woman stared at the two girls as they transformed. It was shocking to know these two were Senshi, but she realized something else. They had said them being Senshi was related to where their son was, and she didn't want to think about how that could be possible. "Naru, you are..."

"Sailor Nemesis," Nemesis said. "I'm supposed to keep my identity a secret, but I couldn't tell you where Umino is without-"

"So, where is he?"

"You may have heard rumors of our group fighting enemies which look like creatures from videogames," Moon said, "a few days ago, we were facing their leader, and one of our allies used a very strong attack, one which sent him one week forwards in time."

"I saw a Senshi fighting some green-skinned man. But what does that have to do with Umino?"

"Game Master is out of reality for a week. And Umino is also nowhere to be found. We are quite certain that Umino is Game Master."

The woman sat on a couch and looked at Moon. "But he's not... He wouldn't do that kind of things."

"Something similar happened to one of our allies in the past," Moon explained, "I'm sure Umino's mind is being controlled by something, or someone. Next time we face him, we'll bring him back to our side."

"But you could hurt him... Or he could hurt you."

"I've been doing things I don't like for one year now," Moon said, "but we'll try our best, that's what I can say without lying."

"I won't let him get hurt, and I won't let him hurt anyone else," Nemesis said. "So just wait, in a few days your son will be back. It's a promise."

* * *

"One week passed. Game Master should be attacking today."

Usagi looked at Naru. "Are you okay?"

"I'm... Not sure. What if we have to kill him to stop him?"

"I could revive him," Hotaru said, then quickly added "but I know what you mean. If I revived him, he would still be evil."

"All I can say is, we'll try our best," Usagi said. "Don't look so grim, Umino wouldn't like it."

"And looking grim is my trademark," Hotaru added.

"You're making a joke, the end of the world must be close," Rei mused.

"Pluto warned me you all would affect me quite fast. I didn't quite believe it back then, but now I do."

"It's not a bad thing, you know?" Usagi noted.

"I know," Hotaru said, "but it's still surprising."

"Check mate."

Terry looked at Aiko, then at the virtual chess table floating in front of him. "I think we programed you a little too well."

"That's a given, I'm as good as you two could make me."

"... She's getting an ego now. Cute."

Aiko looked at Kage. "I suppose I should check my humor sub-routines again." She then looked up. "And speaking of things which are not amusing, Game Master's back."

Ami looked at the screen and her face lost color. "Fu- I mean, crap."

Terry knew the reason Ami had to catch herself. The whole map of Tokyo was covered by red spots. "I suppose that means we got to the last level."

"Not amusing," Usagi said, "people could get hurt out there."

"I sense a force of at least a hundred hunters out there," Aiko explained. "Unfortunately, even those numbers seem to be too little against this attack."

Naru stood up and scowled. "Okay, let's go find Umino and kick him until he stops being evil."

* * *

Once outside, the group saw things were worse than they thought. There were flying creatures and spaceships flying around, monsters from several games lurking in groups, and a dragon had decided to use the Tokyo Towers as its nest.

"This is too much to even joke about," Dragon Venus commented.

"Good," Mercury said, supressing a chuckle. "I suggest we split and search for Game Master, whoever finds him first can warn the others."

"Let's split in groups of two," Moon said. "And guys, finding Game Master is our priority, but we can't let these monsters hurt any civilians."

"Can't Aiko find him?"

Mercury shook her head. "It's not that simple, Mako. He may be blocking our scanners somehow."

"It's never easy for us, is it?" Venus muttered.

"The day we have an easy war, will be the day we know we've broken the universe for good," Mars joked.

* * *

Hakko had been walking to the dojo when the attack started, and like many other civlians, had been caught in the mess that followed. However, he was far from an innocent bystander, so the two enemies he was facing would be in for a little surprise.

"You're no Senshi, so just leave."

"Are you sure you want to ignore me? After all, I'm the one teaching the Senshi how to fight. I would think it would be wise for you both to leave." He looked at the two. Wearing what seemed like ninja suits, one was blue in some parts, the other had yellow details.

"Oh, I suppose we could do- Come here!"

Hakko saw something fly his way, and caught it effortlessly. "A chain kunai? Cheap tricks, as expected from cheap fighters."

The other man shot a ball of ice from his bare hands, something which Hakko was too used to seeing by now. He simply moved his free arm, slowly altering the ball's course, and sending it straight to the man who was still trying to pull the chain out of his hand. "Chill."

"Watch it, Sub-Zero!"

"Not my fault, that guy's full of tricks," the blue ninja noted.

"You don't know just how right you are," Hakko noticed casually, right before dashing forwards at an amazing speed. He stopped right before the two men, who fell to the ground limply. "I could kill you, but I'll leave that to the real heroes," he said before walking away, knowing the two men would be unable to move for the next few hours. And if things went as he expected, their summoner would be defeated far before then.

* * *

Venus looked at the trio blocking their way. She was sure she had seen them somewhere, but where?

"Sonic, huh? This will be fun."

Oh, there. "Isn't this guy super fast?"

"That I am!" Sonic snapped and started running in circles around them.

Dragon Venus smirked. "Time to show them books can be dangerous." He reached his hand forwards, and his book appeared in it, opening at a seemingly random page. "Slow. Greased Shoes. Arcana's Bind. Hold."

Sonic frowned as his speed was reduced to a crawl. "Hey, what the heck?"

A large flying ship appeared near them. "Damn it, I knew that blue buffoon wouldn't be able to handle this."

Dragon Venus looked at Robotnik. "Nice ride."

"Thanks, I built it myse- Stop trying to distract me, brat!"

"Four against two, this is going to be fun," Venus commented as Robotnik's ship aimed at them with its cannons.

"Make it fiiiiiiiiive!"

Venus wasn't quite ready for what had just happened. A pink blur hissed by, and Dragon Venus was knocked into a wall. As the newcomer stopped, she could see it was a pink hedgehog, similar to Sonic, but she was wearing a red dress and wielding a mallet larger than herself.

"Hi darling, sorry I'm late!"

Sonic sighed. "Ugh. I mean, uh, thanks for the help, Amy."

"Guys, our target's shining."

"You hurt him, so now I'll have to hurt you," Venus snapped. "Venus Star Power!"

"Uh oh."

Knuckles had been standing in the background, but rushed forwards as Venus transformed, jumping up to deliver one of his punches. However, he saw Venus smiling, and then she... Vanished? "Hey, what the crap- Urk."

Venus had knocked Knuckles away with a kick, and immediately wrapped her whip around him, stopping his 'flight.' The red echidna saw the Senshi had a wicked smile, and figured things were about to get painful. "One down. Venus Light Snap." She pulled the whip back, sending Knuckles spinning like a top, then snapped her whip forwards, shooting a ball of light which punched right through him.

Robotnik frowned. "Damn it, do I have to do everything myself?"

Venus saw the large ship shoot a missile at her, and dodged. For some reason, she was moving faster now, but she had no time to figure out why. She saw the missile correct its course, and a plan formed.

Tails tried to use his 'ball mode' on the incoming Senshi, but Venus was expecting that, and used her whip to knock the fox straight into the missile's path. "Oh fu-"

"Tails!"

"What do you know, the one time I'm not trying to kill them..." Robotnik mused.

Amy saw Sonic's body start shining, and smiled. "Dumb girl, you shouldn't have killed our friends!"

Venus leapt to the side as Amy tossed her mallet at her, and flinched as she saw it punch through three walls. "What's that thing made of?"

"Love and friendship."

"... Whatever. I can do that too!" Venus snapped, and tossed her whip at Amy.

The hedgehog was quite surprised, but managed to dodge... Only to have the whip curve impossibly and wrap around her. "Hey! I'm sorry, cutey, but I'm not into girls."

"Neither am I," Venus said. "Light Snap." She flinched as the light fried the pink hedgehog on the spot. True, they had hurt her guy, but she was not happy about killing, even if these were just summons.

Sonic was done transforming now, his skin golden and shining with energy, but turned as a shadow appeared over him. "Hmm... Okay, you can give it a try, fat guy."

Robotnik smiled as two large cannons popped out of his ship's sides. "Run, little Senshi, run!"

Venus was glad her speed let her run faster than the ship could turn, but she couldn't focus enough to shoot at it. And she was guessing Sonic was just waiting for the right moment to attack. However, she heard something that made her smile.

"Venus Star Power!"

"Oh fuck. Sonic, take care of the blonde joke, I'll take care of that guy."

"Sounds like a plan!" Sonic said and rushed forwards.

Dragon Venus knew that Venus would have a hard time fighting Sonic alone, so he had to get rid of the fat guy quick. He was surprised, though, that Venus had managed to kill most of them while he was out. But this wasn't the time nor the place to get sidetracked. He stared at the large ship (which had pulled a few extra guns out of itself) and sighed. "I can't waste time with you."

"Ditto," Robotnik said and opened fire with everything his ship had.

The Dragon looked at the incoming barrage dismissively. "Light Wall." A large 'wall' of light appeared from his book, stopping the barrage. "My turn. Venus..." He leapt up in the air, rising his sword above his head as he did. "... Dragon..." The ship turned to face him as he fell, but the Dragon knew it wouldn't make it in time. "... Light Sword!"

Venus and Sonic both looked up in shock and awe. A large wave of light had shot from the Dragon's sword as he swung it, cutting the ship (and Robotnik himself) in half. As the large vehicle exploded, the Dragon summoned his airboard, then frowned. "Crap, not much energy left."

"I'll take care of him, don't-"

"I can still help. Quicken. Thor's Might. Colossus Skin. Chrono's Shift."

Venus felt the change almost immediately. Her fight against the upgraded Sonic had been a losing one, but now she could see all his movements- Heck, it was like watching him move in slow motion.

Sonic didn't quite know what had hit him, a moment the blonde joke was there, the next he was lying on the ground, several meters away, and his mind told him even standing up would hurt. "Damn it... I won't give up. Game Master would blast me to dust if I did, anyhow."

Venus smiled. "I like your games. Too bad I have to defeat you to help my friends."

Sonic was slowly walking to her. "Do your worst."

"Okay. Star V-Laser!"

The attack was pretty much like her Twilight level one, but the beam was wider, and far stronger. Nothing was left of the hedgehog once it stopped.

"You okay?" Dragon Venus asked, seeing Venus was down to one knee.

"Got a bit bruised up by that guy, but I can still fight. What about you?"

"I have plenty of spells left, thanks to this," he said, looking at his book, "and heck, I'll punch galaxians to dust if I have to."

"Sounds like a plan," Venus said as she summoned her board. "Let's go."

* * *

**A/N:** There's a small surprise in next chapter for those who read Cyber Moon.

And yes, Aiko's a self-reprogramming AI, even though she's apparently doing it without realizing it. Dangerous in the wrong hands, and probably in the right hands, too. Don't worry, though, she's not named Skynet. Or Hal. Or Multi-Vac. Or Daneel.

As for the (fortunately) few complaints about "X days/weeks with no updates" I got, it's quite simple... I only write when I feel like writing. It just happens that I have 'sprees' where I do feel like writing a lot. But I've spent a whole year without updating anything before, and it could happen again.


	58. Game Over

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 3: War games.**

**Episode 58: Game Over.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: July 24, 2013_

* * *

Warwitch looked around. Thanks to her magic, her sight range was much better than a normal human's, and what she saw was rather unpleasant. There were at least a hundred Hunters around, and she doubted there were this many in Japan, so that meant they had pulled forces out of other areas. But their numbers paled compared to the enemy's numbers. She could see Jupiter close to her, going melee on a large, blue dragon. Mars was further down in the same direction, using her bow to kill a group of... She paused for a second at that. Seeing Mars blasting Space Invaders ships out of the sky was quite a sight to behold.

An explosion quite close to her took her out of her musing. "Okay Yuki, you gotta focus or-" She looked at the enemy before her. "Bomberman?"

The short man/robot/creature simply looked up at her and threw another bomb.

Warwitch kicked the bomb right back at the bomber, who exploded in a shower of sparks. "All right! I think training actually pays off after all."

* * *

Jupiter was chasing after what looked like a kid on a skateboard. The problem was, this kid was throwing stone hammers at anyone in his path. "Hey, hammerboy!"

The boy stopped and turned to look at her. "Wrong game."

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Supreme Thunder!" Jupiter's attack vaporized her target, and she was about to go looking for another target, when Nova flew by, chased by a large snake. Thing was, this snake seemed to be kilometers long. "What the hell..."

A dagger flew by, stabbing the snake and causing it to stop its charge. Lilith leapt off a nearby building and smiled as she landed. "Game Master's using every game I could think of."

Nova floated to them. "Damn it, I hate snakes." She looked at the snake, then snapped her fingers, and the creature's head exploded.

"Are you a Scanner?" Lilith asked, wincing at the scene.

Nova chuckled. "Not really, can't do that with creatures with bigger brains, like humans."

"Good to know," Jupiter said. Suddenly, the area around them darkened, and the Lightning Senshi looked up, then spat a few choice curses. "Don't tell me there's a Godzilla game."

Lilith was also looking up at the massive reptile. "Okay, I won't tell you."

"Oh well. The bigger they are, the harder I can punch them," Jupiter mused.

"Don't tell me you're actually thinking about punching that thing down?"

Jupiter smiled at Lilith for a second, then leapt up to a nearby building, ready to do just that.

* * *

Mercury looked at her current foes. She knew what each of them did, but that didn't mean it would be an easy fight. "This is not an easy battle so far." She had been too close to being burned alive, cut in half with metal saws, and electrocuted, for her liking.

"At least we don't have to jump on vanishing platforms to get through spiky chasms."

"I suppose that's good," Mercury said.

"You guys going to start fighting for real? I'm too cool to wait."

Dragon Mercury looked at Iceman. "Thanks for making _my _puns look good."

Mercury, however, wasn't in the mood for any more puns. "Shabon Spray Freezing!"

Fireman looked around. "Hey, what the hell? You cheaters!"

Dragon Mercury smiled. That attack was weak, comparatively speaking, but the mist it left behind was quite effective. "This will be over in a minute."

Mercury couldn't help but flinch. In a few seconds, Woodman, Fireman and Iceman had been cut in half, and the Dragon didn't look like he wanted to stop. However, she sensed something and looked up, just in time to dodge as a red blur dropped right where she had been standing. The blur was, of course, another android, one she knew wasn't easy to fight. "Breakman?"

"Hey Rock, what is taking you so long? It's just two humans."

Rockman pointed at Woodman's remains near him. "They're no normal humans."

Dragon Mercury leapt back to where Mercury was, and she could see he had a line of blood trickling down his arm. "Don't worry, that's just a scratch."

Mercury sighed. "Right, we'll just have to beat them before you bleed to death." She run forwards, ready to attack Bombman and Dustman who were standing close to each other.

"Ami, catch!"

Mercury looked up at the two swords spinning above her. Terry wouldn't have tossed them if he doubted he would catch them, but why... She suddenly smiled. Somehow, she knew what to do. "Mercury Ice..."

Bombman put his hand up, and a large bomb appeared on it. "Blue girl wants to go boom?"

Mercury didn't answer, instead crossing both swords in front of her. "Cross!"

The result was, just as Dragon Mercury had expected, quite a show. A cross-shaped blade of solid ice shot forwards, cutting Bombman and Dustman in half. The cross kept going, heading straight for Roll, but Rockman blocked it with a shield made of leaves.

"Nice job!"

Mercury smiled without turning back. "Okay, now we just-" Wait, where was Breakman?

"Ami!" Dragon Mercury glared at his foes. Breakman had phased right behind Mercury while she dealt with the two other robots, and had shot an energy pellet at melee range. The surprise had worked against Mercury, who had been sent skipping forwards, and couldn't dodge the dual laser from Rock and Roll. "You really shouldn't have done that, metalheads."

"Hmph. What are you going to do? You're bleeding and don't have your weapons," Roll snapped.

"This," Dragon Mercury said as his two swords appeared in his hands, and his whole body started shining. "Mercury Star Power!"

"Oops, shouldn't have asked," Roll said.

"Guys, finish the girl while that guy's busy," Rockman said.

"Ice... Angel."

"Guys?" Rockman turned back to see everyone but his two siblings had been turned into icy blocks. "I knew it, useless Wilybots..."

"Who are you calling useless?"

Dragon Mercury was done transforming, and noticed two things. One, that Mercury was not out yet (but she didn't look like she could fight, either,) and that there was a large, dragon-like robot with a familiar face inside. "I was wondering where that loser was."

The metal dragon's chest plates opened, and several dozen cannons popped out of it, all aiming at its foe. "Go ahead, call me a loser one more time," Willy dared.

Dragon Mercury smiled at that. "I'll pass. Instead, let me show you a nice magic trick. Now you see them... Mercury..."

Roll blinked. "His swords... Vanished?"

Rockman looked up, guessing what the 'trick was. "No, they're up there. Guys, let's get-"

The warning was too late, the swords were already falling towards them, and the Dragon had knelt on the ground. He suddenly leapt up, following the arc of his swords with both hands as he landed. "... Hail Curtain."

Mercury saw the attack, and couldn't help but smile. The swords had suddenly vanished again, leaving behind a wave of ice shards, which fell down, slicing and freezing their foes. He saw Rockman stand up after the attack ended, and saw Dragon Mercury was sitting down, his energy mostly gone. "No, I have to-"

"Rock bust..." Rockman started, then fell to the ground, and didn't move.

"Close call," Dragon Mercury said as their foes vanished.

Mercury staggered up slowly. "But we can't rest, we have to help-"

The Dragon caught her as she started falling forwards. "Ami, you're in no condition to help anyone right now."

"But the others may need help, we can't-" Mercury stopped and blushed furiously as he silenced her with a kiss. "Terry?"

He smiled. "I like that about you, you won't abandon those you care about."

She sighed. "I... Suppose I'm being reckless."

"I've watched you all train. If we were able to deal with these robots, then they'll be okay. Trust them, Ami." Mercury smiled, but then started walking away. "Wait, where are you going?"

"I'll recover as much as I can on my way there," Mercury said, "but most battles are already over. There are many smaller creatures around, but our team's all heading towards Moon's location."

"Let me guess, the main character's always the one to finish her fight first?"

That made Mercury giggle. "You're talking like we're in some kind of manga. And besides... Wouldn't you be the main character?"

Dragon Mercury shook his head as they walked. "Usagi is... She may be the reason I met all of you. If she hadn't approached me, I would have been still focused on revenge, and..." He grimaced. "Well, it wouldn't have ended well. The point is, she has her moments, but I have no problem with her being our leader."

Mercury knew he was right. If not for Usagi... Yeah, she was the one who had gathered them, in a way. Not that she was ever going to tell Luna that, as the Mooncats seemed to have some sort of contest on who found the most Senshi.

And just how many Senshi were still out there? Was Lilith the last one, or...

She shook her head. She would worry about that later. Right now, she had to focus on winning the current war.

"Something on your mind?"

"Not really, just thinking about the mess we're in."

"We'll get through it, I'm sure of that."

"Me too," she said. But something in the back of her mind was telling her things could go wrong. No, she was worrying too much, she had to be focused if she wanted to be of any help to everyone.

* * *

Moon had to admit she had understimated her current foes at first, but they had shown her just how dangerous they could be. "Hey, could you give me back my weapon? Eating it is cheating, you know?"

The green dinosaur cocked his head sideways before smiling... Then spat Moon's chakram back at her, causing her to screech and dove to the side, barely missing being punched through by it.

"Damn it, that wasn't quite what I meant."

"What are you complaining about, miss? Yoshi did what you wanted."

Moon glared at Mario as she took the Chakram, then her face turned an interesting shade of green. "Ewww! It's all drenched in dinosaur spit. Gross."

Dragon Earth had his own problems to take care of. Bowser and that green guy who looked a lot like Mario were both using him as practice target, shooting fireballs at him. He couldn't focus enough to use his attacks while dodging, and it was quite annoying. He wanted to help Moon, but- Wait, that was it!

Yoshi growled at Moon, then lashed out with his tongue. Moon dodged, but the dinosaur simply tried again and again. Eventually, one of Moon's pigtails was struck, and Yoshi started dragging her towards him.

"Hey! What's the idea, you newt? Let me go!"

"You heard the lady."

Mario looked in shock as Yoshi was knocked away by a large fireball. He then frowned at Bowser. "What's the idea, you fool?"

"I was just trying to hit that guy, not my fault your pet was on the way."

"Why you..."

"Guys, I think we should not fight each other," Luigi said.

"Shut up, Green Mario," Bowser snapped.

"That's not my-"

"Grim Edge."

"- Yikes!"

Mario looked in the direction the attack had come from. Two more Senshi, Saturn and Dragon Sun. "Okay, there may be too many enemies for us."

Suddenly, a few dozen walking bombs fell down from the sky. Princess Peach walked calmly to the others, smiling. "I knew you could need help."

"Those are my Bob-ombs, Peach!"

"We're supposed to fight them, not each other," Mario noted. "Let's save that for after we're done-"

"Seriously, I thought we talked a lot during a battle, but this is just... Ugh."

Moon looked at Saturn. "Can't say I don't agree." She looked at the bombs, and tossed her chakram at them. A dozen of them exploded... But the explosion was much stronger than she anticipated, and the Senshi were all knocked back. "Ow... Sorry guys, I-"

"That was stupid, Usagi!"

Moon looked at Dragon Sun in shock. He was not one who would shout like that, what- She noticed Saturn was lying on the ground, not moving. "Oh no..."

Dragon Earth checked on her. "She's just knocked out."

Sun looked at Moon. "Uh, sorry for shouting, I just..."

Moon smiled. "It's okay, I don't like it when someone I care for gets hurt."

"Guess I'll have to take my anger out on the real culprits," Dragon Sun said as his sword started shining. "Sun Star Power!"

Yoshi had woken up, and decided to attack while he hadn't been noticed. He lashed out with his tongue, expecting to take the Dragon off-guard, but the Dragon simply reached to the side and caught his tongue.

"There are senses other than those normal humans use," the Dragon said. You almost look too cute to kill, though."

Yoshi tried to pull his tongue back, then whimpered.

"Almost. Hades' Drain."

Moon flinched as Yoshi fell to the ground, after some sort of dark energy shot from Sun's hand to his body. "Wow..."

"Life drain spells," Dragon Sun said, calmly. "I don't like to use them much, but right now I'm too angry to care."

"Oh, scary," Bowser mocked, then shot a large fireball.

Dragon Sun looked at the fireball, then at the Bob-ombs which had been slowly closing in, then at Bowser. "This is going to hurt you. Odin's Tower. Gravity Hold."

Dragon Sun's first spell rose a thick wall of stone between him and his foes, and the second one caused the fireball to fall down to the ground, straigh to the walking bombs, and the resulting chain explosion blew Bowser to dust, along with his soldiers. "Hmph. Moon, all yours."

"Huh, but don't you have a new attack or-"

Dragon Sun nodded. "Yeah, but I wasted my magic with all those fancy tricks. I'll use it some other day."

Moon saw Mario glaring at them, but shrugged. "You're not our real enemies, so I don't see a reason to kill you. You can-"

"Game Master's going to erase us if we fail," Peach countered, "so why don't you-"

"No." Moon shook her head. "You hurt one of my friends, and I'm angry, but that's what he's planning. He's a coward, a cheater. I won't waste any more energy in fighting you, I'll just go look for that cheater and-"

"I'm. Not. A. Cheater!"

Moon blinked as Mario and the others were destroyed by a large energy wave, then turned to look at Game Master, who had walked out of an alley. "Good, I was wondering how long you would be hiding there."

"Wha- You knew I was there?"

"We knew from the start, but really, I wanted to fight a real warrior first, after all, you're nothing but a cheater."

"Stop calling me that!"

"Make me."

"Why you-"

"Flame Sniper."

Moon turned as Game Master was knocked to the ground, and saw most of her friends there. "Guys..."

"You thought we would let you face him alone, Moon?" Mars asked.

"Wait, where are Lilith and Jupiter?" Earth asked, looking around. "Oh, nevermind."

Moon looked at Game Master. "I apologize for that surprise attack. I didn't plan that."

"And what did you plan, then?" Game Master asked. Seriously? Usagi, making a plan? That was just too amusing.

"We know who you are, Umino."

"That's a given," Game Master noted.

"So here's the deal, I will-"

"No!"

Moon looked at Mars, her face unreadable. "Am I really that unreliable, Rei? Don't you trust-"

"Of course I do, but I don't want to see you get hurt!"

Dragon Mercury sighed. "Guys, let her do this. We all train for this, and seriously? Moon is too good to lose against a cheater cosplaying Rockman."

"Why you-" Game Master tried to run at Dragon Mercury, but Moon punched him straight in the face, knocking him down. "Hey!"

"You like games, so how about this: Let's have a fight, you and me, and if I can win, then you'll leave us, and this city, alone."

"And what if I win?"

"If you win without cheating-"

"I am not a-"

"Sure, keep telling yourself that. If you don't cheat, and manage to defeat me, then we'll give up."

"What?" Game Master, and most of Moon's friends, shouted.

Mars, however, was one of the few who wasn't surprised. "That's so irresponsible, selfish, so like the old you... But at the same time, you're risking only your life, to protect the city, no, the world, and you care about us enough to-"

"Rei..."

"Hmph. Have it your way, then. Guys, let's make room so Usagi can kick this idiot's ass once and for all."

Moon smiled. That was just like Rei, but Moon knew what her friend meant. She didn't need to say it. "Okay, Game Master, no, Umino, ready to get beaten by me, like when we were on kinder?"

Nemesis flinched. "Okay, I know she wants to rile him up, but that's a bit too much."

"She's not doing that to make Game Master angry," Saturn, who had recovered after the others arrived, noted.

Dragon Earth noted. "She wants to make Umino angry. To wake him up, make him fight against what's controlling him."

"No way."

Mars looked at Mercury. "What's wrong?"

"I never had time to scan Game Master long enough before, but now that I do... His readings match those of a youma a hundred percent."

Game Master summoned a sword. "Yes, I am a youma. You destroyed my world, kids, so I thought using one of your friends to kill you all would be a fitting revenge. Now die!"

Moon saw Game Master rush at her, and reacted. The man kept on swinging wildly at her, but she managed to block all the blows. She hadn't noticed it while training, but now she could see it. Her old self would have been cut to pieces by such an attack, but right now... She noticed an opening as Game Master rose his sword, and kicked him in the chest. "How can you be..."

Game Master growled. "Damn girl, I'm going to-"

"The 'bosses' until now were different. Metallia, Wiseman... You're nothing like them."

"Shut up."

"If you're really a youma, then I can understand why you would hate us, you-"

"What is it with that face? Don't look at me like that!"

"Yes, I pity you. Your whole race was blindly following Beryl, and I..."

Game Master smiled. There, an opening. "I'll admit I can't defeat you so easily," he said casually, which made his next move hard to guess. He reached both hands forwards, shooting twin beams of energy, but the beams missed Moon's head barely.

"What- Guys, watch out!" Moon turned quickly, but saw Dragons Sun and Venus had stopped the attack. However, that was all part of Game Master's plan, and he only realized her error as she felt a sharp pain in her chest. "This isn't..."

Game Master looked at Moon as she fell, blood seeping out of the wound. "Stupid girl, your loyalty to your friends was your doom." He looked at the others and smiled wickedly. "So, who's next?"

Dragon Earth glared at him. "Earth Star Power!" He was about to attack, but noticed something. Game Master wasn't moving, just staring at Moon's body.

"I killed... Sailor Moon. I killed... Usagi?" The man frowned. "No! Go back, this body is mine now!"

Nemesis winced as Game Master screamed. A black mist seeped out of his mouth and nose, slowly forming a figure. The creature was seemingly human, but its skin was a light blue, and its eyes pitch black, but there was no other feature in its body. "What did he..."

The creature looked at Game Master, or rather Umino, as his suit had vanished and he was back to normal clothes. "You damn brat!" He kicked him up and into a wall. "It's okay, I don't need his body anymore, I will just..."

"You killed Usagi, and hurt Umino. You're not getting out of here alive, monster. Nemesis Star Power!"

Dragon Earth looked at Nemesis. "Let's get him. Earth... Stone Jab!"

"Nemesis... Dark... Flight!"

Dragon Earth's attack was strange, a large fist made of stone which punched the creature back. Nemesis' attack, however, was simply a small, black darkness construct. A butterfly. It would have looked harmless to the creature, if it hadn't felt the energy it shot into its body as it hit.

"Hahaha... Ahahahaha! You cannot defeat the mighty Arkeiz! I am the last youma alive, and I will destroy you all for-"

Mercury was about ready to trottle that guy, as were the others, but they all stopped as the ground started shaking, the vibration growing stronger each second.

"What is this?" Arkeiz said, looking around, and soon finding the source of the tremors. "You? I control you, beast!"

Jupiter, Lilith and Nova all run in, and looked back at Godzilla. "Huh? It stopped chasing after us?"

Nova noticed something. "Usagi? Damn, what-"

"That would be, partially, my fault." The others turned at the voice, and notice Umino was standing up. His glasses had been shattered when he was kicked away, but he still glared at Arkeiz. "I was too weak to stop you before, monster, but I won't let you escape."

"Escape? Why would I escape from a normal human?"

"Oh, I can answer that in two words. Game On."

Arkeiz saw Umino's form shimmer, his Game Master suit appearing again, and was too shocked to realize what was going on. He did, however, hear a loud shriek, and looked up in time to see Godzilla's jaws closing on him. "Oh Darkness, this is going to hur-"

Game Master snapped his fingers, and Godzilla simply vanished... Along with all the other videogame characters still attacking the city. He looked at the Senshi, and noticed Saturn was working on bringing Moon back. "Guys, I'm sorry for-"

"I should slap you for letting that thing control you," Nemesis snapped, "but... You got rid of him."

Moon coughed and sat up, looking around. "Uh, that was stupid."

"You were beating him badly, but he cheated, just like you said," Umino said.

Moon glared at him. "Guys, he's still- She noticed everyone smiling at her, and was thoroughly confused. "Okay, what happened while I wasn't alive?"

"Seeing you die, in a way, woke me up," Game Master said. "I wasn't really around, Arkeiz' control was too strong. He was just using my memories and body language, but that wasn't me at all."

"Umino kicked Arkeiz, the youma controlling him, out of his body," Mercury explained, "Mamoru and Naru gave that youma quite a beating, but..."

Jupiter was piecing it all together, and finally knew what had happened. "Umino stole Arkeiz' power?"

"Yes. It let me take control of Godzilla."

"Godzilla?" Moon asked in awe.

"Yeah, Godzilla."

"Gee, I missed the best part of this."

Umino looked at Moon. "Usagi, are you okay? I mean, I- Arkeiz killed you, don't you-"

"I've died once before," Moon explained. "Of course it's not a nice thing to go through, but... I'll worry about that later."

"So, now he knows who we are," Earth noted. "What do we do with him?"

Game Master laughed at that, but stopped as the others all stared at him. "Sorry. It's just amusing, I thought at least one of you knew."

"Knew what?"

"That I've known who you guys are for a while. I found out shortly after Zero, or should I say, Dragon Mercury, joined your team."

"Wait, and you didn't tell anyone?"

"Of course not. I knew you weren't fakes. I knew your mission was important. I wouldn't just go around gossiping on things that could hurt others. Specially not when your leader's one of my best friends."

Mira appeared near the group right then, noticing Game Master was there. "Huh. You not done fighting him yet?"

"Yes, he's back to normal... Or as normal as he'll ever be," Nemesis said.

"Ouch," Game Master muttered.

Nemesis looked at him, and returned to her civilian form. "Umino, I- We need to talk."

Game Master's form shimmered, and he turned back to normal as well. "Okay," he said, knowing Nemesis' tone meant she wasn't joking.

"What's she up to?" Lilith asked the others as they watched them walk away.

"I have a pretty good guess," Moon mused. She then let out a very long sigh. "Okay, this war's over, so let's-"

"Moon, don't ever do something like that again."

Moon looked at Mars. "I know, it was kinda foolish, but it worked out, ri-"

"So _what?_" Mars shouted. "Damn it... You think it was easy watching you die? Don't be so-"

"Sorry," Moon said sheepishly. "I can't promise I won't risk my life like that again, though. If it's what it takes to-"

Mars sighed. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were annoying, selfish and dense."

"Hey!"

"But you've proven me wrong plenty of times by now, Princess."

Moon watched Mars walk away, and smiled. "She has a weird way to show her feelings..."

"None of us is quite normal," Saturn said. "But Gurio... Is he still able to summon all those videogame characters?"

"I'll ask him next time I see him," Moon said, "after all I want to know what they're talking about right now."

"Usagi..." Dragon Earth said as the blonde started walking in the direction Naru and Umino had gone.

"Hey, I'm not going to follow them, I swear."

"Odango, I know you enough to know that's not true."

"Hmph. Okay then. I'll ask them tomorrow, at school."

The two other Huntresses and Warwitch appeared. "We won, huh?"

"Yeah, and I only had to die to do it," Moon mused.

Dragon Mercury frowned. "_Rabbit, _don't joke about that kind of things."

Moon shook her head. "Sorry, I guess it's just... It's not something easy to forget."

"I know what you mean," Nova admitted. "But we'll just have to make sure it doesn't happen again."

"To anyone else," Moon said, and her friends knew she was very serious about that.

* * *

Pluto had watched the scene from her post. Moon's words were hopeful, but Pluto knew better. Even death could make someone stronger, and she knew Moon's wouldn't be the last one they would see. She would soon be joining them for a while, as an enemy much stronger than those they had faced was ready to strike.

But before that, she would send them some help. Help that, she knew, they wouldn't be quite ready to receive, and which would affect at least one of them greatly.

All that, however, was still in the future. A very close future, that was true, but the future nonetheless.

* * *

**A/N:** I knew this chapter was going to be long even before I started this arc. I think it came out better than how I did it in Cyber Moon. Or, at the very least, different. I wished I could show some other fights, but it was messy enough as it came out.

There may or may not be a Dragon Nemesis, and it may or may not be Umino. If anyone wanted to get a straight answer from me about something that's still not in the fic, then they haven't been reading my author notes.


	59. Frozen World

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 4: Death Busters.**

**Episode 59: Frozen World.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: August 3, 2013_

* * *

The planet was, she had to admit, quite a sight to behold. All that water, it would be easy for her race to thrive in there.

Her troops were ready, and she knew there was more than enough food for them to survive for centuries. Perhaps they would grow more food and settle, or perhaps they would eventually move on to a new world. But that wouldn't change the fate of this particular world, the world which would be soon hers to rule. The world its primitive inhabitants called 'Earth.'

"Beautiful, beautiful Earth. I will make you even more beautiful, once I encase you in my eternal ice."

* * *

It was, for most, just another day in the base, but Usagi had been aware of something weird. Something which had been bothering her for the last hour. "Terry, can I ask you something?"

Terry was recovering from the kick Usagi had just connected, so he was a bit thankful for the break. "Sure, what's the-"

"Why are you holding back? I don't like to fight, but if I have to, I want to at least train properly."

"I'm not-"

"You are," Ami said, walking to them. "I've been watching you train today. Perhaps you're not doing it consciously, but you're making it too easy on her."

Terry stood there, thinking about it for a few seconds, then finally smiled sheepishly. "I guess I am. And I know why, too."

"Fear."

Terry looked at Saturn, who had been training on her own near them. "You could call it that." He turned to Usagi. "You can't be brought back again, not without some miracle happening, and for some reason, a part of me is afraid of fighting you, hurting you."

Usagi smiled. "I appreciate your concern, but you should know- You said it yourself, back then, that I was good enough to fight Game Master. If he hadn't cheated-"

"Nobody is invincible," Terry said, "and I know if Hakko was here today, he would be giving us an earful for being so careless back then."

"It could have happened to any of us," Saturn said. "Me, I don't even have a second chance, but I don't let that stop me from protecting this world."

Terry looked at Saturn in shock. "I never thought about that. Well, you're right, I shouldn't hold back, at least not this much. I'll try and make it interesting, Usagi."

Usagi turned as the elevator's doors opened, and saw Naru and Umino walk in. "I was starting to think you two would take the day off." She smiled as she saw the way they stared at each other. Yes, she had guessed right.

"I gave it a lot of thought," Naru admitted, knowing the look Usagi was giving her. "I don't want to have any regrets, I can't keep using what happened back then as an excuse. This guy may be weird at times, but I like him."

Umino looked at Usagi. "Are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Usagi said, "when I started fighting youma, I didn't even know I would get a second chance - or a third. I'm not letting that stop me from fighting against evil."

"You've become quite a warrior," Umino admitted.

Terry looked at Umino. "So, you still have Game Master's powers?"

To answer that, Umino rose his hand, a blue mushroom with small, beady eyes appearing in it. "I do, but I can't keep these things up for long. I can call upon attacks from any videogame, too, and that one side of these powers seems to be less energy-draining."

"So you got a final boss' power, but you're back to level one," Chie, who had been silently listening to the others, said.

"We shouldn't expect you to summon Son Goku to fight someone, then," Ami mused.

Umino looked around. "You know, what I don't get is... That one golden Senshi. Who is she?"

"Golden Senshi?" Usagi asked.

"You mean, that time you were fighting Karin and me," Chie said, "and you were hit by someone?"

"Yeah. While I wasn't really 'there' while Arkeiz used my body, I can still remember all that happened. See, I was attacked by a purple-haired female Senshi wearing a golden suit."

Ami was typing in her computer while Umino said that, and sighed. "That description doesn't match any known Senshi. Or at least, not any Senshi described in the parts of this database I have access to."

"Uh, so that guess was right," Umino noted, "I thought your computer had a database of some sort."

"It does, but most of it requires passwords. Perhaps asking the right question would get the right answer, but if you don't know the right question..."

"So there could be a rogue Senshi out there?" Terry asked. "Why hasn't she contacted us?"

"Perhaps because she doesn't feel like she could join us yet," Saturn said.

Yukiko appeared near Saturn. "Darn, it's supposed to be spring!"

"What's wrong, Yuki?"

"It got cold out there, in a matter of minutes," Yukiko explained. "Almost as if-"

"A new enemy has appeared," Aiko said, appearing next to Terry.

Terry looked at the map. "Uh, another large-scale invasion?"

"There's not many foes, but the areas marked in blue are right now covered in ice."

"Ice? But it's almost summer-"

"I'm aware of that," Aiko said, interrupting Chie, "there are several strange items, they seem to be generating the ice. A group of enemies is guarding each generator, but those enemies are only as strong as a first level Senshi."

"Call the others," Usagi said.

Aiko nodded. "Already did, I have observed your battles long enough to know a difference in power doesn't mean a certain victory." She looked up. "But most Senshi seem to be already engaging the enemy."

Ami was using the base's computer, and looked up as the map of the city changed to a view of the Earth from space. "We're not the only ones being attacked."

"They're everywhere," Chie noted, "we can't hope to unfreeze all that, can we?"

"That won't be needed."

Terry looked at Pluto, not phased at all by her usual 'out of nowhere' entrance. "If you're here, that means things could get messy."

"You're correct. To end this attack, you must go there and fight the enemy. If what I'm seeing is true, then their true leader will appear to face you, and will be defeated by you."

"And then we kick whoever it is out of the planet."

Pluto looked at Naru. "It won't be an easy fight, and I can't assure none of you will die today."

Naru looked at Usagi. "You should stay-"

"No."

Pluto smiled. "She can't stay behind. She's the strongest Senshi, and this particular enemy is, we could say, enticed by raw magic power."

Aiko looked up. "The ice will reach this building in five minutes."

"Then let's go," Usagi said, "the sooner we're done with this, the sooner we'll be able to take a break from fighting."

Pluto smiled as the Senshi and their allies left. "Unfortunately, they won't be able to take that break anytime soon."

Aiko looked at Pluto. "You do realize I could tell them about this."

"If you tell them, I'll have to kill you."

"Going offline would be a status I don't find benefical," Aiko said, "so I will erase this conversation from my data banks."

"Wish I could do that with some of my memories..." Pluto noted, then vanished.

* * *

Rei looked around. Yes, she could sense something out there. And even if she couldn't sense it, temperature had dropped far too fast for a spring day.

"I suppose you're going out for a walk again, right?"

Rei turned to see Yuichiro there. "Huh, how did you-"

"I've been around enough to notice, Miss Rei. You look like you're searching for something I can't see, which means you're sensing something evil."

"You're right," Rei said, "but please, drop the 'Miss.'"

"Sorry, old habits."

Rei smiled. Yuu wasn't a bad guy, he could be a bit silly at times, but she could get to like that, eventually. She could get to like him. Or had she already started- She shook her head. "No time for that, Rei."

If Yuichiro knew what was going through her head, he didn't comment on it. "Either your friend Mizuno is testing her attacks, or that's the new evil in town."

She noticed what he meant. A layer of ice had appeared close to them, and she could _see _it expanding slowly. "Damn it. Yuu, you should search for a place to hide, I'll take- Yuu?" As she turned, she saw the ice wasn't coming from one single direction, and that Yuichiro was encased in a block of it. "No..."

"Rei, he's still alive, but I'm not sure how long he'll survive in there."

She turned to see her grandfather walking to her. "Weren't you affected?"

"I cast a protective barrier around my body, but even that won't last long. Go get them, Sailor Mars."

Rei nodded. "Of course. Mars Star Power!"

* * *

Moon couldn't help but gasp in shock as they fled out of the base. There were dozens of creatures around, and as she looked, she saw one of them encasing a man into an ice block, much like some of Mercury's attacks did. "There's many of them out here."

The creatures seemed female, but were made entirely of ice, and wore strange icy suits, which made them look like ballerinas. "'Ice Dancer' seems like a fitting name for these things, huh?" Jupiter commented.

"If they're really made of ice," Dragon Mercury said, "then Ami and me will have to stick to melee."

"Flame Seeker."

Lilith saw a dozen flame arrows fly in, and correct their course to hit many of the creatures, and stared in awe as Mars walked to them. "Wow..."

Mars smiled. "Did you guys think I wouldn't figure out how to make my own attacks?"

"Homing flame arrows," Moon said, "I wouldn't expect any less from you, Rei."

Mars blushed slightly. "Eh, it's not so amazing, is it?" She then looked in the direction of her shrine, and sighed.

"Something on your mind?"

"Yuu was caught by the ice... And grandpa sent me off, but he's probably also been hit by now."

"We'll beat their boss and get them back to normal."

Mars smiled at Moon. "I know." She noticed the other Senshi had kept themselves busy, but for each Dancer that was killed, two more appeared. "Hope their boss isn't just trying to tire us down."

Mercury had been fighting in her own way, using her computer and her visor to find where the enemy was coming from. "If that's their plan, it won't work. I've located their base."

"Where is it?"

"Something which looks like an ice comet heading straight for Earth right now. But it's slowing down, so I'm guessing it's some sort of spaceship, or the 'boss' of these ice creatures has that much control over ice."

Warwitch was holding two large balls of flame. "Shit, if it's colder than here..."

"There doesn't seem to be any air up there, either. We Senshi can survive in deep space for a while, but..."

"I get it," Warwitch muttered. "It's not fair to always be left out of your boss fights, though."

"Sorry, Yuki-"

Warwitch waved Moon's apology off. "No, it's my own fault. I have to be stronger." She looked around. "Wonder where those three are..."

Aiko's voice came out of Mercury's visor. "The Demon Hunters are engaging the enemy all around the city."

"Good, now we need to wait for the others to-"

"And here we are."

Moon looked at Pluto, who had apparently brought the rest of the Senshi along. "Oh, I was starting to wonder where you were."

Dragon Sun looked at Pluto. "Are you going to help us?"

"Not this time around. The fate of this battle is already decided. Good luck."

Dragon Mercury stared at the spot Pluto had been standing on for a few seconds. "Hey, if she can see the outcome of this battle, then why is she saying 'good luck'?"

"Don't try figuring her out," Dragon Sun said, "it will make your brain hurt."

Moon was looking up to the sky. "Guys, we should hurry up."

Mercury nodded. "We don't know how long people trapped in those ice blocks will survive."

* * *

There was one thing the Mooncats had been right about. The more Senshi using it, the less energy their Sailor Teleport used. Moon had barely felt any drain from it. However, she was now feeling something else. "Too damn cold!"

Mercury couldn't help but agree. "The temperature here is low. Much lower than it was in the North Pole. Even our suits won't protect us from it forever."

"Oh, we have guests. I didn't think that pitiful world would be able to send soldiers here."

As they turned, they saw a creature there. It was female, like the rest of her kind, but much taller, and wearing what seemed like a royal gown, made of ice. The smile she was giving them was, fittingly, a cold, mocking one.

"You must be the leader of those creatures," Moon said, "I don't want to fight you, if you leave our world now, then we-"

The woman interrupted her by laughing. "Oh, that's amusing. My race's been searching for a place to live in, and your world will do. We just need to cleanse it first, to lower its temperature to a more fitting level."

"But... That will kill everything. Not just humans, but animals and plants-"

"So what? My race needs food, and your race will have the honor of becoming our biggest banquet in centuries."

Mars had heard enough of her. "Flame Seeker!"

The woman dodged the barrage of arrows, but a single one struck her arm. "That was pathetic, your weak race is-"

Mars snorted as the woman was hit by all her other arrows, which had focused into the one which hit the woman's arm. "If we're weak, then what are you?"

The woman stood up quickly, glaring at them. "Enough! I will not tolerate such an inferior race to try resisting. You will now know the true power of Queen Kaguya!"

Mars rushed to Kaguya, her hands shrouded by fire. "Shut up already!"

"You first," Kaguya said, shooting a wave of ice which encased Mars in ice. "Hmph, so weak."

"Moonlight Pulse!"

Kaguya was knocked back by the attack, but didn't even flinch. "Oh, now that's more like it."

The Dragons all run to the Queen, but she simply waved her hand, and the Senshi were all encased in ice. "So, that's it?" She noticed two of the ice pillars cracking, and smiled. "I like it better when food fights back."

"_Fuck_ that was cold," Dragon Mercury exclaimed. He knew Mercury had also broken out of her 'prison,' but the others were all trapped. "Damn it... Ami, find a way to get them out. I'll take care of this bitch."

"But-"

"Magic doesn't work, so I'll just do things my way," he said as he summoned his swords.

The Queen chuckled as two long ice blades appeared in her hands. "I can fight you like that, too."

"Good, I was hoping for a challenge."

"And so was I."

Mercury scanned the blocks as fast as she could, but then gasped. "I can't find a way to-"

_'There's always a way.'_

She stopped and looked around. Was that... Usagi's voice?

_'Ami, remember what Pluto said. If you kill that woman, then the ice will vanish.'_

Mercury realized what was going on. Moon was 'talking' to her using her crystal. "But I can't- My attacks would be useless against that woman."

_'Ami, look at Terry. There's always hope.'_

Mercury turned to the battle, but saw the Dragon was obviously on the losing side. The woman was stronger than him, moved faster than him, and he was already showing signs of being affected by the cold. "There's hope... But we-" She saw the woman finally get the upper hand and knock him to the ground, putting a hand on top of his chest with a wicked smile. "Terry!"

The Queen chuckled, then looked at the Dragon. "Your friend's next, kid."

Dragon Mercury frowned. Magic didn't work, melee didn't work, but perhaps... He looked at the woman's arm, there was a small cut where Mars' arrow had hit, and he could see water dripping out of it. "Well, then I have nothing to worry about," he said casually, then dug his sword into the woman's belly.

Kaguya stood up, after freezing her target, and then looked at Mercury while she removed the sword and tossed it aside. "Hmph. Stupid brat, a wound like this won't kill me. And it won't help you."

Mercury looked at the woman with her visor, and knew Usagi had been right. Water was pouring out of the woman's wound. Cold water, but not cold enough to freeze. Which meant... "You're wrong about that, that wound is all I need to defeat you."

"I can sense you can control ice, but that won't make a difference. I am ice itself, and I will destroy you!"

Mercury smiled as the woman rushed to her. "You're not ice, because you're not cold enough. But I can fix that. Frozen Rage!"

Kaguya stopped her charge as the attack hit, staring at Mercury. "What is this... How can you-"

Mercury saw Kaguya wasn't moving anymore. She had been, ironically, frozen in place. She heard noises of crystal (or rather, she corrected herself, ice) shattering, and turned to see her friends were all free. "Good, Pluto was right."

Earth looked around. "Wait, did Moon finish that ice girl off?"

Dragon Mercury smiled. "I know what happened. Let's just say that Kaguya girl was cool, but not as cool as my girl."

Mercury blushed slightly. "Terry and I got free of those ice blocks, and he tried to fight her."

"And you seemed quite ready to give up," Moon noted.

"So it wasn't just my imagination. Anyhow, I tried to get you all out of those blocks, but then I turned to see Terry about to be beaten. He stabbed Kaguya through the stomach, and at first I didn't know why he did that, but then I saw it. She was bleeding water. Water, when cold enough, turns into ice. So I just aimed for the wound."

Lilith stared at Mercury for a few seconds before whistling. "You froze her blood?"

"Not a nice way to go, at all," Jupiter commented, "but she would have used us all as food, so..."

"I don't like killing," Mercury admitted, "but I also don't forgive those who threaten my friends, and my home."

Moon smiled. "I suppose I can agree with that. I did give her the chance to leave."

"And she didn't take it," Dragon Sun said. He then frowned as the ground around them started shaking. "I think we broke something."

Mercury looked around. "The whole comet is falling apart. It was just a construct, and Kaguya kept it stable. We need to get out of here."

* * *

Warwitch smiled as the Senshi appeared near her. "Good job, guys."

"It wasn't an easy fight," Moon admitted, then noticed the ice was gone. "Guess this little crisis is over, right?"

"So we just wait until the next crisis," Dragon Mercury commented.

"Why can't this one be the last enemy we'll fight?"

"Didn't feel like a final boss at all," Lilith noted.

Earth chuckled. "We're not in a videogame, Chie."

Saturn looked around. "Uh oh... More evil entities approaching."

Venus chuckled as she noticed the crowd slowly gathering around them. "Fans aren't evil."

"Says you," Saturn muttered. "There's also the problem of location, if you know what I mean."

Moon nodded. True, they were right outside the base, so they couldn't go back there walking. She looked at Dragons Venus and Sun. "Guys?"

"Yeah, yeah," Sun said, "We should start charging for this. Mass Teleport!"

* * *

**A/N:** And now we return to your regularly scheduled canon arcs. And as usual, there will be differences between this and the Cyber Moon version.

What differences? Well, if I told you, then they wouldn't be a surprise.

Edited and re-uploaded to fix a few errors.


	60. Mars times two

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 4: Death Busters.**

**Episode 60: Mars times two.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: August 8, 2013_

* * *

It was just another day at school, but Usagi was quite glad to be able to pretend her life was normal. "It's been one week since we dealt with that ice queen."

"'We'?" Terry asked, giving Usagi a sly smile.

"You know what I mean."

"Hopefully we'll get a long break from fighting," Mako commented.

"You should know better than saying that, Mako."

The three turned to see Ami and Rei walk in. "Hey, what are you two-"

"I was told I would be in this group from now on," Ami said, "wonder how that happened?" She shot Terry a sideglance as she said that last part, and he shrugged.

Rei leaned on a wall. "Grandfather thought I should be here since my friends are all studying in this school. I know it'll make father angry, too, so I thought it was a good idea."

"Why would you want to upset your fa-" Mako started, then saw the way Rei was looking at her. "Uhm, forget I asked."

"Let's just say I don't get along with him," Rei said.

"But he's your family, Rei."

Rei sighed and shook her head. "Someone like you won't understand, and I'm not in the best mood right now, so let's switch topics, okay?"

Yukiko walked in right then, but noticed the mood wasn't quite good, so she silently moved to her seat.

Usagi knew Rei enough to know she was serious, and she also knew Rei's family was quite unlike her own. "Okay. So, what's worrying you?"

"I have a bad feeling, like something's out there, waiting to strike. I guess I'll see if the fires can tell me what it is."

"You can see things in fire?" Yukiko said, and her hand was suddenly wrapped in flames.

"Not just any fire," Rei noted, "and don't do that, someone could see it."

Yukiko nodded. "Sorry."

"Will enemies ever stop showing up?" Mako pondered.

"Well, remember Crystal Tokyo," Usagi said. "A thousand years into the future, and we'll still be fighting evil."

"We will surely get a century or two off along the way," Rei joked.

Usagi saw most of the class arriving right then, along with two new students. A tall, blonde guy and a girl with green hair. Both had short hair, and from their body language, Usagi knew they were most likely a couple. "Those two..."

Terry looked at the couple as they sat in the back row, and smiled. "They both look cute." The girls all stared at him, but he shrugged.

"The guy's not bad to the eye, at all," Mako admitted.

Hotaru listened to the others. Terry had obviously realized it, but she wondered how long it would be before the other girls would.

Yukiko frowned. "What I don't get is, why is she wearing a boy's uniform?"

"I'm more comfortable in these clothes," the 'boy' said, "and don't speak about us like we're not here."

Mako blinked in awe. "Wait, you mean you're a girl?"

The other girl smiled. "Haruka has a weird sense of fashion."

"Don't be a pest, Michiru."

Hotaru stared at them. There was something different about them, but she couldn't quite tell what. Still, if they were here, that meant they would join forces to fight the new enemy.

"Wonder if they are..."

Kage looked at Ami, and knew why she hadn't finished her phrase. She was right in her guess, but he wouldn't tell her that yet, as he didn't know what his two 'sisters' were planning.

* * *

As she walked into the room, the woman saw her two leaders waiting. "I am ready to attack. Who is the target?"

"The priestess known as Rei Hino, she..."

"... could be the carrier of a talisman. If she's not, you..."

"... know what to do, Kaorinite. You may use a daimon to help you fight her."

The red-haired woman looked at the image floating in mid-air and smiled. The priestess was her first target? She already had a plan to deal with her without having to fight her. "Of course, I will either get a talisman, or get rid of an obstacle."

"Do not fail..."

"... us, Kaorinite."

"I won't." Kaorinite frowned. Her 'leaders' had a strange way of speaking, but she and her allies were wise enough not to ask them about it. With the power she was sensing from them, upsetting them could be suicidal.

* * *

Later that day, Hana was walking home. True, she could just teleport home, but she wanted to give things some thought. She hadn't been that useful to the Senshi so far, and she just wished she could... No, she couldn't quite tell what was bothering her.

She saw a brown, large van speed by, and for some reason, alarms rang in her mind. She mentally 'tagged' the vehicle, and saw the men inside it. They were all wearing masks, and had guns in their gloved hands. As the van stopped near a bank, it wasn't Hana who was following them, but Nova. "Guess it's worth a try." The men had swiftly executed their plan, it was obvious they knew what they were doing. But Nova wasn't a rookie either.

"Nobody move or I'll shoot!"

"So brave, pointing your gun at unarmed targets."

The man turned and saw Nova there, floating a few inches above the ground. "Who the heck are you? One of those Senshi brats?"

Nova snorted. "Sorry, they have no time for small fry like you, so you'll have to deal with me instead."

"Funny last words, miss," the man said and shot his gun several times. He then took a step back as the bullets had all stopped in front of her target, falling to the ground harmlessly. "What the... What are you?"

Nova noticed all the would-be-thieves pointing their guns at her, and smiled. "Someone who doesn't like criminals shooting at her."

"Bitch, we're going to kill y-"

Nova sighed and shot a psi wave, knocking out all the thieves, but not harming any civilians. "That threat doesn't work, I've already died once."

The bank manager walked to her. "Lady, who are you?"

"My name is Nova," she said, then vanished.

* * *

"Huh, that's weird."

Terry had been fighting an imaginary foe with his swords, but stopped as he heard Usagi. "What is?"

"Doesn't Aiko look... Older?"

Ami smiled. "Remember when we mentioned her code being altered? Her looks are part of said code, and for some reason, she is... Trying to catch up with us."

"I know about this change, but I don't know what's causing it," Aiko commented.

"She's also speaking almost normally now," Terry noted. He had a few guesses on causes for Aiko's change, but he couldn't prove any of them yet.

The base was quite empty, as some of the Senshi had decided to enjoy peace while it lasted. Kage was the only other person in there, and Usagi watched as he used his guns on a moving target. "Wow, you're pretty good."

"I trained with guns when I was younger, as I thought it would be useful if I run out of magic in a fight."

Aiko looked up. "Weak magical entity detected. It's attacking the Hikawa Shrine."

"Rei was right," Usagi noted. "Kage, can you-"

"Go get them, boss. Wisp Portal."

"Why did you phase only her?" Terry asked.

"I've wasted a lot of my energy training," Kage said.

Ami sighed. "Doesn't matter, Rei's shrine isn't that far from here. We'll just use our boards."

Kage saw the two go and frowned. He couldn't tell them the real reason, but he was sure Moon would have some help, even if none of his friends reached the battle in time.

"I've already warned the others. Aren't you joining them?"

"I think I should," he said, and started walking to the elevator.

"Your energy levels seem to be high enough to-"

"I can't explain why, but don't tell the others."

"I understand."

"So you can keep secrets, huh? That's a human trait, in a way."

Aiko stared at him as he left, then turned to the map of the city. "But I'm not human. Or at least I think I'm not..." She blinked once, then frowned. "I will have to run some more tests, just in case."

* * *

Kaorinite appeared near the temple, and looked around before summoning a large, purple egg. Daimons were mere puppets of her master, the lowest warriors of his army... But they would serve their purpose. She walked close to a tree, and the egg was absorbed by it. "Now I only have to wait," she said before vanishing.

* * *

Rei stood up and looked at the fire. What it had shown her was just... Images of Tokyo being destroyed, several shadowy figures looking over the destruction, and the last image was Sailor Mars, but with a strange, triangle-shaped object floating over her chest, and she looked quite dead. What bothered her was that she could feel something familiar about one of the 'shadows' but didn't know why. However, she was feeling something else. An evil presence, and it was near.

As she walked out of the room, she saw Yuichiro was sweeping the floor. "Yuu, there's something out there. You should leave-"

"I'm not going to leave."

"Then at least... Stay inside."

"But-"

"Damn it, I'm supposed to be the stubborn one," Rei said with a groan. "The kind of monsters I fight, they could kill you, and I don't want that to-"

"Fine, go be a heroine, I'll just be cowering in fear here."

Rei sighed. "Sorry. Mars Star Power!"

Mars walked out of the temple, and knew exactly what was wrong. One of the trees, an old, large one, was leaking evil energy. "I am not fooled by you, demon. Show yourself."

A pair of eyes appeared on the tree, and it stared at Mars before unrooting itself. "Makujii!"

Mars smiled. "That is a really bad choice to fight the Senshi of Fire."

"Makujii!" The tree daimon whipped its branches, trying to catch Mars, but she dodged. "Makujii!"

"What the heck are you, a Pokemon reject?"

"Makujii!"

Mars summoned her bow. "Okay, enough of that. Flame..."

"Makujii!" The tree moved much faster than Mars thought, ensnaring her arms with its branches, then rose her from the ground. "Maku..."

Mars saw a black star appear right under the tree's 'mouth.' Before she could think of a way to escape, a beam shot from the star, and she gasped as she felt something being pulled out of her. A triangular object, just like her vision had warned her. She tried to use her sword to cut the tree's branches, but it knocked her weapon away. She knew she had to break free, but she was feeling extremely tired, for some reason.

"Double Flight!"

The tree was knocked away, dropping Mars, who was unconscious. Moon saw the small item near her, and frowned. "What is that?" as she walked close to it, however, she sensed movement, and leapt back just in time to avoid an attack.

"Deep Submerge!"

Moon saw a ball of water shot by, crashing into a tree and blasting it to splinters. "Another enemy?" Two figures stood on the rooftop, and Moon frowned. She couldn't see their faces, as the sun was behind them, but she could tell they were wearing Sailor Senshi suits. "Who are you?"

One of the figures leapt down from the roof, catching the strange object, and leaping back up before Moon could do anything. "This is not a talisman."

"Makujii!"

The figure looked at the tree. "Go away. World Shaking!"

This time, it was a different attack. Moon couldn't quite tell what the sphere was, it was almost invisible. Wind? She looked at Mars and saw she was extremely pale. "Hey, give me that back!"

The figure looked at her. "Sure, we have no use for it if it's not a talisman."

Moon grabbed the item as they tossed it to her, but then saw they were leaving. "What about the monster?"

"It's not our problem."

Moon frowned. The tree was already up, but she had to figure out how to save Rei. "Damn... I don't have time for this."

"Then maybe I can help. Mars Fire Spikes!"

Moon looked to the side as a barrage of fire needles hit the tree. A man in a red Dragon Senshi suit was standing there, looking at her, and she knew who it was almost immediately. "Yuichiro, please help Rei, I'll take care of that monster."

Dragon Mars caught the gem (it looked like a gem to him) and nodded. "Okay." He knelt besides Mars, then shrugged. "Sometimes the simplest way is the right way." He put the gem on Mars' chest, and it melted back into her. "Good."

"Moonlight Pulse!"

The Dragon turned to see Moon blasting the tree monster to atoms. He then sensed something and looked down. "Hi."

Mars sat up and looked at him. "What the... Yuu?"

"That's me."

"Why did you-"

"You were out cold, and Moon was alone against that tree and two other enemies. I know you didn't want me to-"

"But you- Using that sword without- Damn it, Yuu, you could have died!"

"If I die trying to protect the one I love, then I'll have no regrets."

Moon smiled as Mars' face turned as red as her skirt. "I'll go call the others."

Mars sighed as Moon walked away. "I... Suppose I should thank you."

"I didn't do much, just distracted that tree long enough-"

"Stop."

"Rei?"

"You speak too much," Mars said, and then did something that surprised even herself. She kissed him.

Moon was almost done telling the others what had happened. "... And also, we have a new Dragon."

"A new-" Jupiter started, then frowned. "Mars' guy?"

"Yes."

"Is Rei okay?"

Moon's smile didn't falter. "Yeah, she's fine. So, any ideas on what that gem was?"

"I'll search my computer's database," Mercury said. "You should come to the base."

Moon looked back and smiled. "Well, Rei and Yuu look a bit busy right now."

"A bit-" Mercury sighed. "Oh, I see."

"We'll be there soon," Moon said, and turned around. She saw the two Mars Senshi walking to her. "Are you okay, Rei?"

"I'm feeling tired, but I can guess Mercury's going to try finding out what happened, right?"

"Yeah. We should go to the base. Unless you two want to stay here a little longer..."

"Usagi, don't be a pest," Mars muttered.

"Huh, you mean Miss Tsukino is..."

"All my friends are Senshi," Rei said. "They can be a bit crazy at times, but you'll get used to it."

"Rei, are you okay with this, he-"

"He already got himself kicked around a few times trying to protect me. At least now I know he will have a slight chance to fight back."

Moon summoned her board and leapt on it. "Let's go." She then frowned. "Wait, he doesn't have a..."

Mars had summoned her board too, and looked at the Dragon. "Leap in."

The Dragon stood right behind Mars. "Okay... I've seen you flying in these things, so I'm know they'r safe."

Mars smiled impishly. "Just don't get any funny ideas. You could fall off the board accidentally."

Dragon Mars smiled back at her. "Don't worry, I won't do anything weird... Unless you allow it."

Moon saw Mars blush and giggled. "You two look cute together."

"Ugh, let's just go," Mars muttered and floated up.

As they flew, Moon's mind returned to the battle. The monster wasn't like anything they had fought before. It wasn't bright, but if Mars had been alone against it... Well, she could have been revived, but that wasn't the point. And also... Those two Senshi. Who were they, and why had they acted so coldly?

In any case, this meant peace was over, once more. As surprising as it was, she knew a part of her had hoped for this to happen. A small part of her, which actually enjoyed fighting. Perhaps the Princess was, in a way, still alive in her. Or perhaps all that training had been a bad influence for her. A _good _influence, that part of her corrected, but she swiftly told it to shut up.

* * *

**A/N:** If you read Cyber Moon, and think Dragon Mars showing up so "soon" is weird, then you should brace yourself for the other surprises I have planned for this arc.


	61. Heart crystals

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 4: Death Busters.**

**Episode 61: Heart crystals.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: August 23, 2013_

* * *

Mars had been expecting it to happen, so she didn't mind the looks the others were giving her. "Here we are."

Ami smiled. "As you could guess, the others have mostly kept themselves busy guessing what Moon meant."

"Oops," Moon said.

"But," Ami added quickly, "we'll save all that for later. What I've found is quite serious."

Terry nodded. "I've seen enough of the data to agree."

"Magic is something which can't be easily explained, and that 'item' you saw is related to magic. In the times of Silver Millenium, they were called Heart Crystals, and were supposed to be the physical representation of a person's soul. However, I can't find any information on 'Talismans.' I'm guessing they're a special kind of heart crystal."

"So, I take it I wouldn't survive without it," Mars noted.

"A normal human could die in a matter of minutes if their heart crystal is taken. A Senshi of our level... I don't think you could survive for more than fifteen minutes."

"But she could still be brought back, right? Even without the crystal-"

Hotaru looked at Moon. "I could 'revive' her, but she would be a body with no soul. An empty shell."

"Shit," Mars muttered. "Any clue on who the enemy is?"

"I can't detect anything out of place," Aiko explained, "which means the enemy's either not in this city, or can shield from my scans."

"And about those two new Senshi..." Moon looked at Hotaru and Kage. "You two know who they are."

It wasn't a question, and Hotaru knew it. "Sorry, I can't tell you-"

"Can't or won't?" Terry asked.

"Both," Kage said. "It's not just because they may want to keep their identities a secret, but... They're different than I remember. Something's changed."

Hotaru nodded. "I agree. They may not be friendly at all."

"But if we knew who they are, then-"

Hotaru stood up and walked to Moon. "Don't worry, if they do anything to harm any of my friends, I'll take care of them personally."

"You can't mean-"

"That wasn't a question, or a request. You're good at forgiving others," Hotaru said, "and I like that about you. But don't ask me to be as forgiving as you are."

Moon was smart enough to know Hotaru wasn't going to back down on this issue. "Right."

"Sometimes, warriors must follow their heart, not their leaders," Terry noted.

Kage smirked. "Heh, another 'Hakko quote'?"

"No, that's all me."

"Why can't you be this serious and wise all the time?" Ami pondered.

"Because then I would be a boring old man, like Hakko."

"Who's boring?"

Terry turned to see Hakko walk out of the elevator. "Oh, there you are. I was starting to wonder where you had gone."

"I came to tell you that I'm going to be away for a while. Senshi, you have already learnt a lot, I've been watching you. There's much to improve, but at least your kind does get second chances, so it's easier for you to learn from your mistakes."

Moon saw he was looking at her. "Yeah, I need to trust my friends more during a fight."

"Worrying about your friends isn't bad, but it distracted you from your target, and that can, as you saw, be a dire mistake in combat. Since I see you realize what your mistake was, though, I know what I was going to tell you all is the right thing."

"And that is..."

Hakko looked at Terry for a split second. "I will not train your group anymore."

"But-"

Hakko shook his head. "Lady Mars, you've learnt what takes others years to learn, in a matter of months. I don't know, nor care about how that is possible, but several of you are already good enough to teach others. And also..."

"Also?"

"I can't teach you how to fight magical creatures, as my experience on that field is quite lacking. But from what I've seen, you can teach yourselves, by means of training with each other, or in the battlefield."

"So, will we see you again?"

"Who knows?" Hakko mused. "I will be leaving Japan soon, but I may be back. If I hear you're slacking off on your training, however, I will come back, and make you wish I hadn't."

Terry smiled at that. "Don't worry, I can keep them in line."

"If I wasn't sure of that, I wouldn't leave," Hakko noted and turned to leave. However, Moon leapt over his head. "What is it, Tsukino?"

"Let's fight."

"I don't see the point of-"

"I want to know just how far I am from my goal. Don't hold back."

Hakko thought about it for a few seconds. "Fine, but use no fancy magic tricks or weapons."

"Sounds fair."

Hakko shook his head at that and laughed. "Didn't you say you wanted to fight without holding back?"

Moon blinked at that. "You mean-"

"Do your worst, Usagi."

Moon noticed the fact he was calling her by her first name, but that didn't matter considering what else he was saying. "But my attacks at this level could kill a normal hum-"

"If you still think I'm a normal human being just because I cannot use magic, then perhaps you will learn something from this fight."

Moon nodded, then summoned her chakram. "I surely will."

Terry watched the fight with interest, and he noticed the others were also paying attention to it. Moon started with her Double Flight technique, but Hakko dodged the first swipe, and as the chakrams turned to attack again, he did his usual trick ("Mana Control," he had heard the Huntresses call it,) without touching the chakrams, sending them flying straight at Moon.

Moon ducked, and turned back to see her weapons stab into the base's walls. Instead of recalling them, she summoned her sword, and charged at Hakko. Hakko parried her sword slash (and now Terry saw that Moon's physical strength was outstanding, as Hakko was dragged back while grappling,) then managed to launch her over his head.

Moon wasn't out of weapons yet, and decided to show him that. "Moon Tiara Action!"

Hakko dodged the tiara easily, but saw Moon was smiling, and sensed something. He ducked, barely missing being hit by the chakrams.

Hakko tried to use Moon's sword to block the chakrams as they made another swipe, but the blade wasn't moving. He wasn't expecting Moon to have that much control of the sword, and it stopped him from dodging. However, Moon's chakrams started circling him, at a close enough distance to stop any movement from him. "I suppose I should yield. Good work, Usagi."

Moon smiled for a split second, then her face turned serious. "But you didn't attack me. You were still holding back."

Hakko shook his head. "No, I knew trying to attack someone this powerful would be suicidal, so I planned to use your own attacks against you. That's not holding back, that's strategic thinking."

"Then I guess I managed to win, after all." Moon said, then bowed to the man. "It was a honor to have you as our mentor, Hakko."

The others all bowed to him. "Hope we meet again soon," Mako said.

Hakko smiled. "I'm sure we will. Try to stay alive until then."

Moon watched him leave, then shook her head. "How the heck did I win?"

"He's not used to fight magicians, having a few fancy tricks does not make him invincible," Terry noted.

"Why did he call me by my first name? Usually it's just 'Tsukino.'"

"It means he thinks you're a good enough fighter," Terry noted. "And you just showed him he wasn't wrong in thinking that."

"To think that one year ago all you were good at was dodging and screeching..." Rei commented.

"Won't say that's not true," Moon admitted.

"And he didn't want you to hold back, because he wanted to demonstrate his point," Terry added, "he can kick our rears while fighting us in our normal form, but I think any of us could defeat him if we used our powers."

"So how do we get better?"

Terry looked at Chie. "We do what we've been doing, train by ourselves, or have mock battles. Some of you may not notice it, but a lot of our improvement is due to that."

Yuichiro looked at Rei. "So this is what you do here? Training to fight those evil monsters?"

"We got our rears handed to us a few times when we first started, and it was only through luck that we kept fighting, but we all knew luck alone wouldn't keep us alive. So yes, we do that here. And since you're at the first 'level' then you'll have to train a lot in order to catch up with us."

"Sounds like a lot of fun," Yuichiro said with a sigh.

* * *

"I don't know why you don't let me join them right away."

Pluto looked at the other woman. "That is because you don't have the powers I have. Trust me."

"I do trust you, I just don't like waiting when I could be helping."

"You will have your chance to show off soon enough."

The other woman smirked. "Hey, you know me."

"That I do, and I know you will take this seriously, Princess."

"Because you've seen it?"

"No, because I also trust you."

* * *

Chie couldn't complain about how life had changed for her in the last few months. Finding out that her best friend was a Senshi, and finally being able to tell her how she felt about her. Becoming a Senshi had its ups and downs, but she didn't regret it at all. However, it still felt like Karin was always the one protecting her, even when they fought aliens.

"Something on your mind?"

She smiled. "Not really."

"You think your house will be safe anytime soon?"

Chie grimaced. That was the one thing she had dreaded, her parents were at first angry, then seemed to calmly accept the 'phase' she was going through. They were in for a very long phase, but she hoped they would see things differently, someday. "Don't worry, they're past the point of shouting and blaming now."

"That doesn't sound good. I don't want your parents to be-"

"Karin, don't say it, don't even think about it. They just weren't ready for it, I was good at keeping it hidden."

"Unlike me," Karin mused. "Still, you're lucky."

Chie nodded. True, at least she had parents who could be mad at her. Karin was- Chie's mind warned her about it, and she sighed as an energy blast hissed by, barely missing her head. "Shit, not now, can't you read the damn mood?"

Kaorinite was standing in front of the window, looking at her in awe. "So it's true, you're a lucky bitch."

"That I am. By the way, you shouldn't stand so close to the window."

"Just shut up and stand still, I'm not interested in you right now." She tossed a small egg at the couch, which turned into a monster. "Now let's-"

Karin blinked as Kaorinite tripped on something and fell out the window. "Oh, so that's where I put that TV remote."

"Nedai!"

Chie looked at the monster. "Okay, I think we should get rid of this ugly thing before the other ugly thing comes back."

* * *

Usagi was talking a walk. She had no destination in mind, and she didn't feel like going to the base. A part of her mind was busy thinking about the day before, about Mars, and what could have happened if... However, she knew someone was following her, and after several minutes, decided to let them know she was aware of them. "Hi."

Luna sighed as Usagi stopped walking. "Sorry, you seemed troubled by something, so I didn't want to-"

"I appreciate that, but perhaps I need a second opinion."

"If it's about the new enemy, we haven't found anything yet."

Usagi sighed, looking around to make sure there were no witnesses. "It's related to them, in a way. You know, I probably won't get another chance, if I die again."

"And yet you keep on fighting, so-"

"And yet I keep on lying to my parents about this. I could die again, and they'll never know why, or how it happened. Or worse, they'll find out then, and realize I had been lying to them all along. I..."

"Your mother doesn't know _what _you're doing, but I'm around enough to know that she knows something is going on. Being a pet lets you hear things..."

"Has she said anything about it?"

Luna looked down, then shook her head. "Well, she said that she's worried, that you may be doing something... But she always seems to think that you- You would never lie to her, so it must be just her imagination."

Usagi gave Luna a humorless smile. "Guess she doesn't know me that well."

"It's your decision, Usagi. I won't stop you, if you decide telling them is the right thing to do." Even though I probably could stop you, Luna thought, but wasn't about to tell Usagi that.

"I'm not sure what I'll do. Perhaps I should ask the others-"

A shout interrupted them. Luna frowned. "We're close to Mamoru's home, perhaps..."

"Lilith Twilight Power!"

Usagi looked at Luna. "I guess Karin is the next target. Moon Star Power!"

As Moon rushed to the battle, she could see things were weirder than usual. Karin was being chased around by what looked like a mutant couch, and there were two Liliths fighting a red-haired woman. She decided to help Karin. "Double Flight!"

"World Shaking!"

The air ball blocked her weapons, and Moon looked up. There they were again. "You two, why are you helping the enemy?"

"We need the Talismans." the blonde one said. Moon saw her suit was similar to her own, except the skirt was a much darker shade of blue, and her bows were yellow.

"But taking the crystals away would kill the target."

The girl snorted at that. "We know, and we don't expect you to understand. Sacrificing a few lives in order to save everyone is-"

Lilith landed near Moon, and she saw the girl was quite beaten up. "Lilith, don't worry, I'll..."

"No." Lilith said, standing up and glaring at the evil redhead. "I'll take care of that one, you beat these two idiots and the monster."

Kaorinite chuckled. "You can't defeat me, kid, you're too weak."

"I admit to that, but I grew up being protected by her, I've always been "too weak." If I fail the one time she needs me to protect her, then I won't ever forget myself. So, I have three words for you, creep."

"Oh really? Say what you have to say, so I can keep beating you around."

"Lilith Star Power."

Kaorinite took a step back. "Oh, that may complicate things."

"You have no idea how right you are, witch," Lilith snapped as her transformation ended. "Infernal Illusion!"

Kaorinite didn't have time to react, the illusion formed around her instantly, and the fire around her was hot, much hotter than the illusion Lilith had used first. "I only have... To resist."

Lilith smirked. "Let's see who runs out of energy first, then."

Kaorinite could barely see Lilith through the fire. What was this, she wasn't tired from using her illusion earlier on? "I'm going to get shouted at for this..." She muttered before teleporting away.

Moon was watching this, but turned to the other 'battle' to see Karin was actually beating the monster around. She saw the two rogue Senshi starting to move, and smirked. "Double Flight! Tiara Action!" The two chakrams started swirling around the two Senshi, while her tiara circled them both. Moon summoned her sword for effect and glared at them. "I won't let you help that monster."

"But you're not helping her, either."

"I've learnt to trust my friends, so I know I don't need to help her."

"Stone Jab!"

The couch was punched into a wall, and Karin smiled as she saw Dragon Earth land near her. "Good timing."

"Is that our couch?"

Karin sighed. "Yeah."

"I was looking for an excuse to change it," the Dragon said, summoning his sword as he charged at the creature.

"Deep Submerge!"

Moon froze in shock. The green-haired Senshi had shot a ball of water at Dragon Earth, knocking him down even as Moon's tiara sliced her arms and legs. Was she so serious about her mission that she didn't care if she died? What kind of training had Pluto given these two?

"World Shaking!"

Karin saw the two Senshi looking at her. "What the fuck is wrong with you? We're all Senshi, we-"

"You don't understand what this war is about, you-"

"Moonlight Wave!"

"Uranus!"

Moon glared at the green-haired Senshi, who was apparently shocked. "I didn't kill her, I don't like killing. But I also don't like others treating life like something that's not worth anything."

"Idiot, if they get the Talismans, then it won't be just one life lost. Can't you see-"

"Neptune, don't waste your time," Uranus said, staggering up. "They're foolish, and easily distracted."

Moon heard a gasp behind her, and knew what had happened even before turning. The couch had sneaked on Karin and attacked while she was distracted, and an item much like Mars' one (only this one was disc-shaped) appeared. "No!"

Neptune rushed in and punched the couch monster, knocking it back, then grabbed the crystal. "Not a talisman. Here."

Moon took the crystal Neptune tossed at her, and glared at the two. "Leave."

Uranus shrugged. "Fine, we don't need to fight you, anyhow."

Moon turned to see Lilith and Dragon Earth had dealt with the monster. She walked to Karin and put the crystal close to her body, smiling as it was absorbed.

Karin woke up and tried to stand up, flinching as she did. "Damn, Rei was right, having that thing taken leaves you feeling like crap."

Lilith helped her up. "I suppose our date plans are off, then?"

Karin smiled. "I guess... Thanks for helping me."

"You know, I can almost agree with Hotaru now. Those two are willing to let someone die for whatever those Talismans are."

Dragon Earth looked at Moon. "That's not like you-"

"I'm not saying we should shoot to kill. I'm saying that we need to make them see this war can be won without-"

"What if letting someone die is the only way?"

Moon shook her head. "There's always a way to win without sacrifices. I know it doesn't always work that way for us, but the day I stop trying will be the day I stop being me."

* * *

**A/N:** Uranus and Neptune: I write them more and more amoral each time. It's fun.

Edit: Added one more scene to this chapter, because those two characters don't get enough 'screen time.'


	62. A game of Senshi

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 4: Death Busters.**

**Episode 62: A Game of Senshi.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: August 23, 2013_

* * *

Usagi stopped as she was about to walk into her house, and turned to look at Luna. "I've made up my mind."

"Are you going to tell them?"

Usagi nodded before walking in. "Mom, dad, are you both home?"

Ikuko walked down the stairs, followed by Kenji. She knew the tone Usagi was using, it meant something was worrying her. "What's wrong?"

Usagi stared at them in turns. "I've been hiding something from you both. Just listen to what I have to say, and then you can be mad at me if you want."

Kenji frowned. "What is-"

Usagi had thought about many ways to say it, but in the end, chose the 'easiest' path. "I'm Sailor Moon." Her parents just stood there, staring at her, for several seconds, before she sighed. "It's not a lie."

"But you can't be..."

Luna looked at Usagi. "They won't believe it until they see it."

Usagi nodded, not giving her parents enough time to think about the fact their pet cat had just spoken to her. "I was expecting that. Moon Star Power!"

The two adults stared in shock as their daughter transformed in front of them. "She really is..."

Moon smiled at Kenji. "I'm sorry I never told you this, but... We need to keep our identities a secret. I hope you're not mad about-"

"Mad? If half of what I heard in the news or read about you is true, then you've been saving the world for the last two years."

"That we do," Moon admitted.

"Is that Chiba guy like you?"

"Yes," Moon knew she had to keep other details about her and Mamoru to herself. Like the fact they already, in a way, had a daughter.

"So that's what you do when you go out after school? You go fight evil?"

Moon looked at Ikuko. "Not usually. You told me before that you liked the new me. That is, in part, thanks to this 'job' I have. I've been training for several months now, in order to become a better fighter... And it's helped me become what I am."

"But why you?" Kenji asked, "why not leaving all those monster attacks to the army?"

"Because human armies are quite useless against most of the creatures we fight," Luna interjected.

Ikuko looked at her. "So, Luna can speak now?"

"I could speak all along," Luna admitted, "and if you want to blame someone for what Usagi's telling you, you can blame me. I'm the one who recruited her."

Moon frowned. "That's not true. You just helped me remember who I was."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't get all of what my smarter friends tell me, but from what I remember, and what they said, Senshi were a special kind of warriors, and existed for countless centuries in the past. I was... I was a princess in my past life, and the strongest warrior of my generation."

"Princess of the Moon, I guess?" Kenji said. At Moon's surprised stare, he shrugged. "Hey, I'm still trying to believe all this, but if you're Sailor Moon, then it would make sense."

Ikuko sat down on the couch. "This is... It's a lot to take, to know that you're one of those Senshi, to know that you're risking your life out there. But also, I must admit that I wished you could be like the Senshi, back then, that you would grow more responsible and mature. It makes me... It makes us proud."

"Risking my life..." Moon said and flinched.

"What's wrong?"

"I've decided to stop lying to you about all this, so I won't hide this from you, either. I've already died. Twice. Mamoru died too. It's-"

"Wait, what do you mean you died?"

"What do you think I mean?" Moon said, her mood darkening for a second as she stared at Kenji. "Uh, sorry dad, it's just not easy to talk about it."

"But you're here right now."

"I died once when those plant monsters attacked, months ago. I heard the news, how the comet had 'mysteriously changed its course, after coming close to crashing into the Earth.' Some said it had been us Senshi, and they're right. I did that. The comet was going to crash into the Earth, and would kill millions. I couldn't let that happen, even if it would, and did, cost me my life. But our foe, after seeing his error, used something which brought me back."

"And the second time?"

"Fighting the leader of those videogame characters that kept on showing up, weeks ago. He attacked my friends, and that distracted me long enough for him to..." Moon shook her head to banish the memories. "Fortunately, we already knew Sailor Saturn could revive others, but she can only do that once per target."

"Once per person?" Ikuko wasn't dumb, so she knew exactly what that meant. "If you die again, then you..."

"That's why I realized I couldn't keep lying to you. I wanted you to know, because next time it happens, it could be permanent."

"There are other Senshi, right? You can just leave it to the others, you-"

"Yes, I could run away, I could abandon my friends, I could go back to being the careless girl I was before all this started," Moon said. Luna stared at her in shock. "But no, I can't go back. I won't go back. I'm their leader, I'm the one who, they say, never gives up. I've thought about giving up plenty of times, I admit to that, but I guess I'm hoping these aliens will eventually take the hint and leave."

Luna sighed. "Even if she quit, her powers would still be there. They can't be just removed. I don't think your daughter would be happy just watching others fight, when she can do something about it."

Kenji shook his head. "I'm not sure how to feel about this, but... Thanks for telling us about it. I always hoped you would do something important when you grew up, and you're already doing it now."

Usagi smiled as her form returned to normal. "I'm glad I told you. I won't have to keep lying to you anymore."

"And I won't have to keep pretending I'm a normal cat. It does get tiring after a while."

Shingo walked in right there, and heard Luna speaking. He realized what was happening, and smiled. "So you told them about it."

"Yeah."

"Huh? Shingo knew?"

"I figured it out on my own," Shingo admitted, "but why tell them now?"

"I know if I die again, it could be permanent."

"Oh, so those rumors are true, Game Master did kill Sailor Moon."

"Yes."

"And you'll still be fighting evil beings?"

"I fought one less than one hour ago," Usagi admitted.

"Aren't you afraid of-"

"Of course I am. But I heard someone say that courage is about defeating your fears... And I won't let my fear of death defeat me."

Shingo smiled. "That's awesome."

Usagi sighed. "I guess it is. Anyhow, I'm going to the base now. Luna?"

"I'm staying for a while, then I'll try to find where the enemy's hiding."

"Be careful," Usagi said.

Ikuko smiled. "Uhm, have fun."

"Yeah, I don't think I will, but someone has to keep this world in one piece."

Kenji chuckled as Usagi walked out, then noticed Ikuko staring at him. "Sorry, it's just that I thought she had changed so much, but I see she's still the same."

"I don't know... She used to _not do _things she didn't enjoy."

"That's true." Kenji stared at Luna. "What's your story, Luna?"

"To make a very long story short, I'm a Mooncat, a race similar to Earth's cats, but which was 'adopted' by the ancient Senshi as a sort of helper, and a guardian for the in-training Senshi."

"I would like to know more about the Senshi," Ikuko admitted.

"I can tell you what I know," Luna said, "but it will be a long story."

* * *

They didn't need any help. Specially not from them.

The two of them had been sabotaging the enemy's plans for a whole year, planting false leads and causing massive delays by having the Death Busters target all the wrong targets. While Pluto didn't seem to know (or wasn't telling them) what the Death Busters' goals were, they knew they wouldn't be good for mankind.

Now the enemy knew where the talismans were, and that made things escalate. They had hoped to find and eliminate their leader before it happened, but now that the Tokyo Senshi were being targeted, it was too late for that. They had to gather the talismans, for the sake of the world, even if it meant having the other Senshi as their enemies.

They couldn't afford to befriend them. It would be pointless. Some of them would have to be sacrificed to end this war. It was pitiful to watch them struggle against reality, but they would see their error when the time came.

"They're moving again."

"Let's go, this could be a talisman."

"Third time's a charm, right?"

"I'm not superstitious, but coincidences do happen."

* * *

"So, you're almost sixteen now."

Usagi smiled at Terry. "Should you be staring at me like that when your girlfriend's standing right next to you?"

Terry looked at Ami, who was staring at him with an unreadable face. "Uh... Sorry."

Ami shook her head. "I know you mean no harm, but it could get you in trouble, one of these days."

Two days had passed since Usagi told her parents the truth. They were still trying to make sense of it all, and she couldn't blame them.

She looked at Aiko. It was strange, but the girl looked almost as old as them now. Months ago, she was still a small girl... Yes, she knew it was just a projection, not an actual body, but it was still strange to see Aiko growing up like that.

"Should you be staring at my daughter like that?" Terry joked.

Usagi blushed slightly. "Uhm, it's not- I'm just surprised of how much older she looks now than when I first saw her."

"How does that saying goes, 'my little girl grew up and I didn't notice'?"

Aiko looked at Terry. "You should check your humor sub-routines, they're obviously glitched."

"You know, we should all go somewhere together," Usagi noted, "I mean, to take a break from our routine."

"How about the beach?" Terry asked.

"You just want to see us all in swimsuits," Usagi guessed.

"It would also be a good place to train," Aiko noted. "Sand slows down your movements, so if you could get used to moving quickly in the sand-"

"We're going there to take a break from training," Terry noted, "but perhaps we could use your idea later on."

Just then, Yuichiro landed on his back close to them. "Okay, that didn't work out as planned."

Terry smirked. The guy had adapted to training rather quickly, and while he had a lot of catching up to do, he was willing to learn. "Hey, I have something for you."

"What is it?"

"Here."

Yuichiro looked at the small black cube Terry had tossed his way, and smiled. Rei had explained those weapons and how they worked, so he knew what to do. "Thanks," he said and the cube turned into a staff. "Heavy..."

"Are you going to keep talking, or are you going to get back here so I can kick you around?"

Yuichiro frowned. "Sometimes, you sound like you're really enjoying this."

"She is," Usagi noted, "I've known Rei long enough to know she only hates fighting if there's no reason for it."

Terry looked at Yuichiro. "I've been observing your training, and you're holding back. I'm not saying holding back is a bad thing sometimes, but you shouldn't worry about hurting Rei. You're still way too weak to be able to hurt her, even in her human form."

"I don't quite believe that."

Rei frowned at that, and rushed forwards, letting out a battle scream. Yuichiro acted instinctively, hitting Rei in the stomach with his staff's tip, but Rei didn't seem to notice the blow, she just grabbed the staff and used it to trip him. "You should really stop holding back. I have to hold back if you do, and that really doesn't help either of us."

Yuichiro stared at her. "Sorry, and... That was amazing, Rei."

Rei blushed slightly. "Uh, thanks. Now let's-"

"I'm detecting some low energy readings near Osa-P."

Usagi looked at Aiko. "An enemy?"

"I don't know. It's leaking way too little energy to identify."

"Whoever it is, it's cloaking from our scanners, then," Ami said. "We should try and catch them by surprise."

* * *

Umino was quite surprised as he heard Naru's story. "So that's what happened?"

Naru nodded. "I now it sounds strange, but-"

"Strange? I was possessed by some evil youma who used me as a vehicle for his evil plans. I don't think I could be skeptical about anything else after that. Also, my sources had told me about most of it."

"Sources... Umino, where do you exactly get your information from?"

"The web. I would not trust those sources, if I didn't already know who all the Senshi are. Your friend Hokuge is doing a very good job at misleading people."

"Hokuge's doing that? Why?"

"To help you remain unknown to the public. I've been doing my share of that, too. It's not like I can help you with your fight in any other-"

"What about your powers?"

"Hmph, I'm a joke."

"You can't mean that. You must know how Usagi was when she started. You're only as weak as you believe you are."

"Perhaps-"

"And also, you know me. I would not fall in love with a weakling."

Umino smiled. "I guess you wouldn't."

Naru was about to say something, but a woman walked in, so she turned to the customer. "Welcome to Osa-P."

The red-haired woman didn't seem to pay attention to her, instead looking at one of the gems in display. A rather large diamond. "Hmmm, this one will do."

"Excuse me, can I help you?"

Now the woman did turn to look at her, and the smile she gave her was a malicious one. "Of course you can, Nemesis, you can give me your heart crystal."

Naru saw the woman hold some sort of egg, which went into the gem. The diamond grew until it was just a few inches taller than her, and then 'eyes' also made of diamond appeared, looking at her. "Diamon!"

"Damn, it's one of them."

"Name's Kaorinite, kid. Not that it will matter if you know it once I'm done with you."

Umino glared at the woman. "You dare attacking Naru's house, and for that you will pay. Game On!"

"'Game On'"? Kaorinite muttered.

"Everyone's a critic," Game master said as his "transformation" (which was just his suit appearing over his normal clothes) ended.

"Diamon, get the girl, I'll deal with this pathetic sidekick."

Game Master snorted. "Really, someone as weak as you? I can defeat you in no time."

"You and which army?"

"Glad you asked," Game Master said, then snapped his fingers, and a group of small creatures appeared, rushing straight at her and dragging her out of the shop.

Naru sighed. "Seriously, Lemmings?" They had been quite effective at dragging that woman away, so she couldn't complain. She looked at the creature and noticed it was apparently waiting for her to move. "I'm not going to let you get me that easily. Nemesis Star Power!"

"Diamon!"

"Dark Flight!" Nemesis' attack didn't seem to phase the monster at all. "Oh come on, I got that attack one month ago, and it doesn't work?" She then frowned. Of course, the creature was made of diamond, that meant she would have to hit it in the right spot to-

The creature didn't feel like waiting, and tackled Nemesis. "Diamon!"

"Flame Seeker!"

Half the arrows struck the monster, while the other half hit the two rogue Senshi and knocked them off the roof they had been hiding on.

Uranus staggered up and saw there were a half dozen Senshi in there now. "Damn it, we need to check on-"

"Moonlight Pulse!"

The monster shattered to pieces and then vanished. Nemesis stood up and flinched. "Shit, that was one of the most expensive diamonds in the shop."

"Sorry."

Nemesis smiled at Moon. "Not your fault. Now where's..."

Just then, Kaorinite rushed by, chased by Game Master, who was holding some sort of futuristic rifle and shooting small green energy balls at her with it.

"Guess he's good with guns, too," Moon noted.

Kaorinite stopped running as the barrage of energy balls stopped, and turned to see Game Master kneeling on the ground. "Heh, I must admit you're a dangerous one, but as you see, you're not strong enough to-"

"I never meant to defeat you, just to distract you long enough."

Nemesis glared at Kaorinite. "You bitch made a mess of my shop and ruined a very good diamond. You're going to regret that. Dark Flight!"

Kaorinite saw the small, black butterfly flying at her and laughed. "Seriously, this small th-"

Game Master smiled as Kaorinite was knocked down to the ground by the butterfly's explosion. "Moron."

Kaorinite let out a furious scream as she stood up, then vanished.

"Did she-"

Moon's question was interrupted as Nemesis gasped in shock, then looked down. She could see Kaorinite's hand coming out of her chest, although she felt no pain at all. Still, Kaorinite's open palm was holding a black, star-shaped crystal, and as she pulled the hand back, the others could see there was no hole in Nemesis' body.

Game Master glared at the evil woman as Nemesis fell. "Give that back!"

Kaorinite leapt away from the others and smiled. "Sorry, but no. This is no Talisman, but still, destroying it will mean one less Senshi to worry ab-"

"She loves eating dirt," Dragon Mercury commented as Kaorinite went down. But who had attacked her? All he saw was a wide pink beam, but it was gone as soon as Kaorinite was sent flying. "Mercury?"

Mercury was scanning the alley from which the attack had originated. "I only see small traces of magic. Whoever it was, it's gone."

Game Master had picked the crystal Kaorinite had dropped after her unscheduled flight, and was kneeling next to Nemesis. "Whoever it was, it saved Naru."

Moon looked around. The two 'rogue' Senshi were gone, and so was Kaorinite. "Rei..."

"Yes?"

"Why did you attack those two?"

"They're helping the enemy, so-"

"If we just attack them without trying to reason with them first, we're just as wrong as they are."

Mars frowned for a moment, but then shook her head. "Sorry."

Mercury was still looking at the alley. "What I'm worried about was that last attack. Think it is that 'Golden Senshi' you mentioned?"

Game Master shrugged. "Your attacks are usually color-coded, right? That one Senshi's beam was golden, not pink."

"Pink beams..." Moon frowned. For some reason, that sounded familiar, but why?

Naru had turned back to normal, and sighed as she looked at the store. "Uhm, guys, you better leave."

"What's wrong?"

"That I have to think of a way to explain all this to mom."

"Perhaps you could use Usagi's way," Dragon Mercury said. "And no, I'm not trying to joke."

Naru shrugged. "I don't know. I'll see you tomorrow, guys."

Umino turned back to normal. "I'll stay."

"You don't have-"

"I want to."

"Okay... Thanks."

* * *

As the group flew back to their base, Dragon Mercury finally decided to ask something he had noticed. "What's got you so worried, Usagi?"

Moon flinched. "Uhm, not much, just... For some reason that energy beam's been bothering me."

Mercury looked at the Dragon and shook her head, then turned to Moon. "I don't think it's an enemy."

"I'm sure it's not," Moon said. "Don't ask me why, because I don't know why, but I..."

Dragon Mercury smiled. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, eventually."

Mercury had a good guess on who their mysterious ally had been, and it would also explain why Moon was so edgy. But one thing didn't fit the puzzle. Why would _she _come back now? "We'll figure it out, we always do."

* * *

**A/N:** Tsukino family, meet Luna, the walking Senshipedia.

Kaorinite, meet a not-so mysterious ally. Or at least her energy beam.

I'm updating chapter sixty-one along with this one, with one extra scene.


	63. Sun, sand, water, danger

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 4: Death Busters.**

**Episode 63: Sun, sand, water, danger.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: September 2, 2013_

* * *

"I'm not mad at you, but why is it that those creatures keep on targeting you?"

"My friends have asked me the same thing," Naru noted, smiling humorlessly at her mother.

"At least she's safe, right Sayuki?"

Naru's mother, Sayuki, shook her head at Umino's words. "Hmph. I just wish those Senshi kids were more careful with what they break."

Naru frowned and looked at Umino, who was standing right besides her. She knew her mother could be upset by it, but still... "They haven't found a way to restore the possessed object to normal yet."

Her mother blinked in confusion. "And just how do you know that? Did they tell you?"

Naru chuckled despite herself. "I could keep lying to you, but... I guess Usagi's right. Nemesis Star Power."

Sayuki was shocked. Her daughter had just transformed into a Senshi? "What? You're one of those-"

"Yes. I've been a Senshi since back when youma were around. We're not playing, mom, and you should know that."

"Sorry, I guess I was just taking out my frustration on them... On you."

Nemesis nodded. "For what it's worth, I came close to killing the one who turned that diamond into a monster."

The woman looked at Umino. "I almost dread asking, but is he..."

Umino chuckled. "Not a Senshi, but I can still kick those monsters around if I need to."

Nemesis smiled. "If that surprises you, then what if I told you Usagi is our leader?"

"I would have found that hard to believe a couple years ago, but she seems to be a far more responsible girl now."

"She is, all the fighting changed her, in a good way."

"Naru, shouldn't you go to a hospital? What you described could be-"

"Two of my friends were targeted already, and they just felt tired after that." Nemesis yawned. "And I'm starting to feel it, too."

"Then go get some sleep," Umino said.

As Naru walked up the stairs, the woman turned to Umino. "Thanks for protecting her."

"I didn't do much, actually."

"Always too humble, I guess that's something Naru likes about you."

Umino nodded at that. "In any case, I should go home before my parents call the police. Bye."

Naru's mother blinked as she stared at the spot where Umino had been just standing. "Uh, he vanished?" She then shook her head. "I will have to get used to that kind of things, I suppose."

* * *

"Here's your new target, Kaorinite. You must..."

"... Not fail again, for our master has already..."

"... Waited too long. We may put one of..."

"... Your allies in charge soon."

"I will not fail," Kaorinite said, and bowed to her leaders before vanishing.

* * *

Terry looked around him and smiled. The more the merrier, as the saying went. "Ladies and gents, we will be reaching our destination in a minute.

Maria and the other Huntresses had been a bit surprised when Usagi invited them all to the beach. And she had been even more surprised about the vehicle used to get there. "Seriously, you have your own bus?"

"Master Jack owns three transport companies back home," Samuel said. He was driving the bus, and was quite surprised at the number of female friends his young master had. Either he had learnt to control himself around girls, or miss Mizuno was very forgiving.

"We also owns other things. Not trying to brag, of course."

"Heh, you don't even have to try bragging," Aki mused.

"Why didn't Hana tag along?"

Usagi shrugged. "She said something about a gang she was hunting down."

Terry smiled at that. "Good to see her back to her old self, but it almost feels like she's avoiding me, lately."

"I don't think that's what she's doing," Usagi said. Then again, she didn't know Hana as well as Terry did.

"We're here," Samuel said, "I will wait for master Terry's call, hope you all have a good time."

The group got out of the bus, and as it drove off, Brad noticed something. "Hey, the beach's empty? Does your family also own this place?"

"No."

"Too bad, I was hoping to see some cute girls in swimsuits," Brad said, then noticed the way the girls were all looking at him. "Uhm, what I meant is..."

"Get him," Rei said with a wicked grin.

* * *

Five minutes later, Minako was watching as the other girls worked on Brad's punishment. "Uh, girls, I think you're over-reacting."

"How so?" Hotaru asked, "we only buried him up to his knees."

Minako sighed. Brad's legs were now sticking out of the sand, and she wondered just how that _wasn't _over-reacting. "Just get him out of there."

"No need for that."

Minako jumped as she heard Brad's voice behind her, and realized he was, indeed, standing there. "Huh? what the heck?"

Emi sighed. "Teleportation and decoy spells."

"Hey, he cheated, we should punish him again!"

Minako looked at the other girls. "You know I don't generally mind your silliness, but cut it off before I have to use my whip."

"Is that a promise?" Yukiko said, then noticed the other girls looking at her in either shock or amusement. "What?"

Ami noticed Terry was trying hard not to stare at the girls. "Having fun?"

"Yeah..." He sighed. "That Usagi, she had to invite _more _cute girls."

"What's the matter, you wanted to keep them all for yourself?"

"Maria..."

"We're all friends, so let's just have fun," Usagi noted. She just wished Mamoru had also tagged along, but he had told her he had something to take care of that day.

"I'm surprised Hotaru's here without an umbrella or something."

Hotaru looked at Chie. "Why do you say that?"

"You're so pale, I thought you were a vampire."

Kage smiled at that. "She can drain energy from others, at least."

"You guys are silly."

"You've said that before."

"Doesn't make it any less true," Hotaru muttered.

* * *

Ami and Terry were walking around, and like the rest of the gang, they were enjoying the sunny day. "I must admit this was a good idea."

Terry smiled. "Yeah, taking a break once in a while is good."

"What did you mean when you told Aiko we could use her idea? You mean coming to the beach to train?"

"No, we can just have the Zero replicate sand."

"Oh. That could work."

Terry looked to the sea. "Say, how about a race?"

Ami smiled. "Swimming?"

"Yeah, I may not do it a lot, but I like to think I'm good."

"I don't want you to be mad at me when you lose."

"Where's the sweet, nice Ami I fell in love with?"

Ami blushed slightly. "Still here, but you're a bad influence."

Terry chuckled. "Won't deny that. Don't take your victory for granted, though."

"I won't," Ami said, "it does sound like fun, so let's do it."

* * *

"When I heard you wanted to make a sand castle, I thought it was a childish idea. But I must admit this is pretty impressive."

Yukiko chuckled. Maria and Aki were both watching as she finished up her sand castle... A castle complete with a moat, five spires, windows and even the kanji for 'snow' carved on one of its walls. "I used to build them all the time when I was a kid."

Aki nodded, then looked around. "Maria..."

"I'm sensing it too. Trouble."

"Crap, are they going to attack here?"

"Or perhaps that Kaorinite girl's also taking a break," Yukiko said.

"Not likely. Should we warn the others?"

Maria saw Moon walking to them and frowned. "I don't think we will need to."

And in that very moment, they all heard an explosion.

* * *

Minutes earlier, most of the group had found something to do. Some were sunbathing, while others talked or went for a swim. Rei smiled as she looked around. "It's a pity Yuu stayed at home." She then sighed as she looked at Usagi, who was snoring. "How can she fall asleep that fast?"

"Practice, she used to do it all the time during class," Naru explained.

Emi came walking to the others. "Girls, I'm sorry to be the one to spoil the fun, but I sensed an evil being lurking."

"Must be Kaorinite," Hotaru said.

"Who are they going to attack, though?" Usagi said, surprising the others. "I'm a light sleeper," she said with a shrug.

"I don't know, but we better gather the others in one place," Rei noted.

"Let's transform, just in case," Usagi said. "I saw Yukiko north of here, so I'll go get her."

Minako nodded. "Mako, Karin and Chie went south, I'll get them."

"The rest of us will stay here," Rei said, then sighed as the two blondes left. "Months ago, if I was told those two would be able to sound like actual leaders, I would have laughed it off."

"We've all changed," Brad said, "but I'm glad Minako's still the same carefree girl most of the time."

Rei was about to say something, but then heard shouting. "Okay, I think that means the 'fun' is starting. Let's go!"

* * *

Terry was, to say the least, shocked. Sure, Ami had bragged about it a bit before they started swimming, but now he saw her bragging was not empty. She was a much faster swimmer than him, and she didn't look like she was tired, while his arms were starting to ache. "Okay, I admit defeat."

Ami stopped and smiled at him. "Tired?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," he said with a wince. "I think I can make it back to the shore, so let's-"

"What's wrong?" she asked, and then sensed movement in the water behind her. Before she could turn, however, everything went black for her.

"Ami!"

* * *

The Senshi and their allies had gathered, and were trying to locate their friends. "There they are!" Jupiter suddenly shouted, pointing to the water. The battle was taking place a good distance away from the coast, and everyone could see Dragon Mercury was using his board to chase Kaorinite around. "Is that creep running on water?"

"She must be a ninja."

Suddenly, two figures dropped in front of the Senshi. "We cannot let you interfere."

Jupiter cracked her knuckles and glared at Uranus. "Like hell you can't."

Moon sighed. "Guys, go help them, I'll take care of these two."

"But you alone won't..." Mars started.

"I'll stay with her," Warwitch said.

Neptune shrugged. "Who said we're letting you-"

"Double Flight! Go, guys, I'll keep these two busy."

Uranus glared at Moon as the rest of the Senshi flew towards the other battle. Moon had, once again, immobilized them with her weapons. "Damn it, don't you have any honor?"

Moon recalled her chakram. "Says the one who attacks those she should be allying with, and helps the enemy."

"We're not-"

"Icycle!"

Uranus leapt back, barely dodging the large spear. "Hey!"

"Don't forget I'm here," Warwitch snapped back.

Neptune shook her head. "You are too weak to hope fighting us one on one, witch."

Warwitch's smile was a sound effect away from a chuckle. "I am aware of this, but I've been practicing long enough to know my powers can be used in other ways. Haste. Iron. Levitate. Shield. Rage."

Uranus and Neptune didn't quite understand what Warwitch was planning, but Moon felt the effects of those spells immediately. Before the two rogues could figure things out, she was already punching and kicking them around with a speed which made it virtually impossible for them to react.

Warwitch smiled as she saw the results of her buff spells in action. "To misquote a certain saying, 'me and that one-woman army.'"

* * *

Dragon Mercury was extremely angry right now. Part of that anger was this woman's fault, yes, but most of it was actually was directed at himself. Kaorinite had used a jellyfish monster to sneak on Ami, and appeared right on top of it once Ami's crystal had appeared. However, while she was checking it out, Terry had decided to get it back, shooting one of his icy attacks at her. The results were not as expected, as his attack had caused the woman to drop the heart crystal.

So he had swiftly cut the jellyfish in half, and had been trying to do the same with Kaorinite for a minute now. He had to take care of her, so that he could go search for the crystal. "Damn it, bitch, stop running away so I can shred you to pieces!"

"Yeah, that's going to happen," Kaorinite muttered.

"Volt Trap!"

The attack wasn't directed at Kaorinite, but at the water near her. Its effects were rather explosive, as the sphere of electricity caused the water to shoot up, soaking and shocking the woman. She was knocked into the water, and as she resurfaced, she didn't look too healthy. "Damn kids, I'm going to kill you all..."

"Flame..."

"... But not today," Kaorinite said before vanishing.

Dragon Mercury sighed in relief, then dropped to his knees. "Damn it, now what?"

Mars flinched, the guy didn't seem to be in a very good mood. "Terry, what-"

"I'm an idiot, that's what."

Saturn was looking at the water, and noticed Ami was floating on a board (her own board? Was Terry controlling it too?) meters away. "I can guess what happened. Kaorinite took the crystal, you attacked her, and the crystal fell to the water."

The Dragon rose an eyebrow at that. "How did you-"

Saturn was still looking at the water. "Because I can sense Ami's soul... Down there." Without waiting for an answer, she dove down into the water. Several seconds later, she leapt out, landing on her board, and smiled. "Here it is."

The Dragon took the crystal and rushed to Ami's side. As the crystal was re-absorbed, he shook his head. "I guess Usagi's right, sometimes you just have to trust your friends when you can't succeed on your own."

Ami woke up and looked around. "I suppose you beat-" she stopped as the Dragon hugged her. "Terry?"

"I'll tell you later," Dragon Mercury said, "but I'm glad you're okay."

Suddenly, there was an explosion in the beach, and the group all looked in that direction. "I guess Moon did it."

"Did what?" Dragon Mercury asked.

"Uranus and Neptune tried to stop us all from getting here, but Moon told us to leave them to her," Jupiter explained.

Venus just realized something. "I suppose some of our friends still won't take an order from her."

"What do you-" Dragon Venus started, then sighed. "Those three..."

* * *

Moon was surprised, these two were better than she thought. Warwitch's buffs had lasted for a while, but once they were gone, she was quickly outpowered by the two. If nothing changed, then-

"World Shaking!"

"Odin's light."

"Poison Mark."

"Poison Mark."

A light beam cancelled Uranus' attack, and before either rogue could react, they were both surrounded by a greenish mist, and fell to their knees. "Damn it, you are-"

"Smarter than you," Mira snapped as the trio flew in.

Neptune glared at Moon. "So, what are you waiting for?"

"What do you mean?" Moon asked. "You really think I would keep on attacking you? I could. I should, since you'll just keep on threatening my friends' lives. But my best friend used to tell me I was hopelessly naive, and she may be right. I'm willing to give you a chance to change-"

"You moron, do you even know what-"

"I don't know what you went through, but me and my friends? We defeated a goddess. We fought a creature who was bent on destroying the universe. We even stopped a huge comet from crashing into the Earth. Don't tell me I don't know what's in stake here. I will save the world, but I will not accept any casualties."

Uranus frowned. "That's a foolish dream. Are you willing to let the world be destroyed just to save a few lives?"

Moon "If you're not, then you're no Senshi."

Uranus smiled coldly. "Say what you want, we'll still save this world. World Shaking!"

Moon staggered back as the attack hit, but wasn't too affected by it. "You won't, not until you realize your flaws."

"Maybe we should bury them in the snow, too."

Moon smiled without turning to her friends. "Good to see you're okay, Mercury."

Dragon Mercury walked past her. "Seriously, though, what do we do with these two?"

Moon looked at the Huntresses. "Let them go."

"Just like that?"

Moon looked at Uranus. "Just like that. Now go and think about why you keep losing against us."

Mars was almost expecting (hoping?) for the two rogues to try and fight them, but they weren't suicidal. Once they walked out of sight, she turned to Moon. "Isn't it obvious, though? They lost because they're outnumbered."

"No, they lost because they're fighting for the wrong reason."

"Saving the world is-"

Moon nodded at Mira. "Yes, but they don't care about saving innocents, just about defeating evil."

Dragon Mercury whistled. "You know, I don't think you'll ever stop surprising us, Usagi."

Moon blushed slightly. "What will we do now, though? Our fighting hasn't gone unnoticed."

Saturn looked around and saw people gathering just outside the beach. "Maybe I could scare them off?"

"You could, but you shouldn't," Moon said.

Mira looked at Circe and Calisto, who nodded at her. "Now they see us, now they don't. Mass Teleport!"

* * *

**A/N:** Lesson learnt by the Senshi: Don't split the party.

Just joking, they'll keep on splitting the party anyways.


	64. Birthday battle

**Sailor Moon Aeons.**

**Book 2: Rebirth.**

**Act 4: Death Busters.**

**Episode 64: Birthday battle.**

_By Razor Knight_

_Last update: September 13, 2013_

* * *

"So, how does it feel to be sixteen?"

Usagi looked at Terry. "To be honest, not different than being fifteen. But aren't you-"

"His birthday's next month," Ami explained.

Usagi blinked in surprise. "Oh."

Hana smiled. "He's younger than some of us, he should respect his elders."

"Like you ever saw me do that," Terry muttered.

Hana nodded. "That's true. By the way, sorry I didn't go to the beach with you guys the other day. I had my own kind of fun, though."

"Isn't what you're doing dangerous?" Usagi asked.

"Those guys just use guns. Worst I've seen was a 's nothing compared to what you guys face every other day."

"And it's not like bullets would affect us anymore," Ami said.

"Huh, didn't know that," Mako noted. Most of the others nodded at that. "Why didn't you tell us, Ami?"

Ami sighed. "I sometimes find things so obvious, that I don't even consider the fact others may not know about them."

"Wouldn't that be a 'dumb genius' moment?" Mako mused.

"I guess that's a way to describe it."

Usagi sighed and walked to the elevator. "Okay, guys, Mamoru's taking me somewhere, you just stay here and don't get any surprise party ready while I'm gone."

"Sure, we hadn't planned anything like that," Terry said, keeping a straight face. As Usagi left, he looked at Ami. "How the heck did she know?"

"I'm not sure. Her ability to read people is just impossible to explain."

"But nothing's impossible for us Senshi, right?" Mako mused.

Rei scowled. "Okay guys, let's leave the talking for later, get everything ready."

"Gotcha, we better hurry," Terry said. "Hocus focus..."

Minako shrugged as several tables and boxes appeared around the room. "You don't fool anyone, that's not magic, that's just your Senshi pocket space."

"And Senshi powers are..." Terry noted.

"Magic," Minako muttered.

"I rest my case."

Hana smiled. "And speaking of magic..." As she said that, items started floating around the room. "Just tell me where to put them."

Aiko was 'sitting' near them, but looked at Hana as a chair flew through her. "Watch that, you could have hit me... If I had a body."

* * *

"So today is the day."

"Yes, it's time for you to join that battle."

"I'll try my best not to be a hindrance for them."

"You should trust yourself, Princess."

"I do, but I'll be the first to admit I'm just a newbie when it comes to actual combat."

* * *

"Kaorinite, we don't have..."

"... Time for more failures."

"I am quite aware of this. But I have a plan this time. One of them is celebrating her birthday, and is, right now, quite unguarded. I will set up a trap and force her to face me on her own."

"What if the other Senshi..." "... Try to interfere?"

"They won't. They value individual lives too much, a weakness which can be found in many humans."

"You may go, then, but..."

"... If you fail, don't come back, we..."

"... Have no use for those who..."

"... Won't bring us the Talismans."

* * *

Usagi had to admit Mamoru could be quite a charmer. Dinner at a rather expensive-looking restaurant (and she hoped she hadn't messed up a lot while eating there,) and now they were walking back to the base, enjoying the night. "Guess they should be done preparing everything by now."

"I figured you knew. Thanks for playing along."

"It wasn't hard at all," Usagi admitted, "I know we didn't have a good start, but..."

Mamoru noticed she was blushing hard, and smiled. "You don't need to say it, I know it."

"But I still want to-" Usagi sensed something and leapt back, just in time to avoid an energy blast.

"Sorry, am I interrupting something?" Kaorinite asked, mockingly, as the girl looked at her.

"Damn it, not today!"

Kaorinite chuckled at that, and then a few daimon eggs appeared around her, shooting in several directions. "I'm here to get you, Sailor Moon, and I am done playing nice." As she finished that sentence, her target saw several car-like daimon walking to her.

"Earth Star Power!"

"Moon Star Power!"

Dragon Earth frowned. "Usagi, leave them to me."

"But-"

"If she gets us both, we're dead. Someone has to go warn the others, in case-"

"Then you go."

The Dragon sighed as one of the daimon rushed at them, and swiftly cut it in half with his sword. "I'll be fine, odango."

Moon saw several more daimons crawl to them, and flinched. "Okay, I'll..."

Kaorinite laughed. "As if I would let you go just like that. Die!"

Moon saw Kaorinite run to her, and sighed. "Moonlight Pulse."

Dragon Earth saw the evil woman fly over his head. "Usagi, leave now."

"I..."

"You'll tell me later."

Moon nodded, then dashed away. The Dragon noticed Kaorinite walking to him, her suit burnt in several places. "I was hoping you would stay out of the fight."

"I was hoping that kid would not run away like a coward."

The Dragon frowned. "That's not cowardice, that's just how much she trusts me. She knows I won't lose to someone as weak as you that easily."

"Then she's clueless. You cannot defeat me and my daimons."

"Won't know that until I try."

* * *

Aiko was observing as the others put everything in place for the party, but suddenly looked up. "I detect a power spike a few miles from here." She then frowned. "And now it's gone."

"Kaorinite?"

Aiko nodded.

"Don't need a computer to guess what happened," Rei said. "Either Usagi or Mamoru were the targets this time. Damn it, we should have known-"

Just then, Moon walked in. "I can tell you already know what's going on."

Ami nodded. "Where is-"

"He told me to come warn you about it. We have to hurry, or-"

"I've run some scans," Aiko said, "and I cannot detect Dragon Earth or Kaorinite anywhere in the city. She suddenly looked up. "And something else. Look at the screen."

Moon and the others did just that, and they could see an image from outside the base. Kaorinite's face could be seen up in the sky, smiling mockingly at the city below. "Sailor Moon, I have your guy here. Come to the Starlight Tower, alone, in less than one hour, or I will kill him. Don't bring any of your other friends, and don't try anything funny, or he dies."

As the face vanished, Rei looked at Moon. "We have to-"

"There's no 'we' here, Rei," Moon said.

"But this is obviously a trap, you can't just-"

"I can, and I will."

Ami saw Moon walk back to the elevator, and flinched. "Do you even have a plan?"

"I'll go there, throw Kaorinite off the tower, and bring Mamoru back, then we can have a party."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," Terry admitted. "Have fun."

Moon smiled as the elevator's doors closed. "I won't."

"Are we really going to let her go alone?" Chie asked.

"What else can we do? If Kaorinite senses us coming, she'll kill Chiba," Kage said, "I trust Usagi, she's beaten that Kaorinite creep before."

Rei shook her head. "Damn it, I can't stand just staying here doing nothing!"

Ami walked to Rei. "But you have to. How do you think I feel? Not counting Naru, I'm the one who's known Usagi the longest. You think I'm not trying to find a way to help that won't get Mamoru killed?"

Rei sighed. "I... Sorry."

Aiko looked up again. "I detect Uranus and Neptune moving. They're heading for the tower."

"Shit, we have to stop them, if Kaorinite sees them-"

"She said she didn't want any of her friends to go," Hotaru noted, "so we don't have a thing to worry about."

"Still, they'll help Kaorinite-"

Kage sighed at that. "Rei, they're not evil. If Kaorinite gets Usagi's crystal, then there's two things that could happen. If it's a Talisman, then those two will get it, and we can get it from them. If it's not a Talisman, then they'll fight to return it."

"Are you-"

"Yes, I know those two enough to know they may be putting a facade and acting though, but they hate senseless deaths as much as we do."

"So what do we do, we wait here?"

"If I may make a suggestion," Aiko said, "Kaorinite doesn't seem to be able to detect magical beings. You could approach the building through the sewers."

Terry saw the faces some of his friends were making. "Are you sure she would just rely on her eyes, and not magic, to detect us?"

"There's a zero point zero two percent chances that she does have magic sensing abilities."

"Good enough, I was saving this trick for something like this."

"What trick?" Mako asked.

"Oh, that," Ami said with a smile.

"What have you two been up to?"

"You'll see it in a minute, or rather, you won't see it," Terry 'explained.'

* * *

Moon leapt off her airboard and sighed. A face up in the sky, a black 'dome' around the tower, it was just like that one time. Back then, however, she had her friends with her. This time, she was alone, so-

No, she couldn't give in to her worries, she wasn't the same as she was back then. She was glad her friends helped her when they could, but she was not useless on her own. And she would show Kaorinite just that.

Just then, a hole opened in the 'dome.' She walked in, and saw an elevator's door opening. Just as she was walking into it, she saw Uranus and Neptune rush past the hole in the dome (which was closing,) and into the elevator. "What are you two doing here?"

"Don't worry about them, Sailor Moon," Kaorinite's voice said through the elevator's intercom. "I may need the extra help to fight you."

Neptune shook her head. "We're here to get the Talisman, not to fight you."

"If you risk his life, I'm going to-"

"Don't worry, we will just observe."

Moon frowned. She had no choice but to let them tag along now, but she would still watch her back.

* * *

Terry smiled as his friends stared at the 'surprise' he had. "So, what do you guys think?"

Brad looked at the plane, which was hardly visible right now. "An invisible plane. How the heck..."

"It's not quite invisible, its outer walls projects what reflects on the opposite side of it, so you're seeing what you would see if it wasn't there."

"Uh..."

Ami smiled as Minako and Karin just stared blankly at Terry after his explanation. "Think of the plane as a TV screen, it's showing what you would see if it wasn't there."

"So, you finally found where Wonder Woman's secret base was, huh?" Brad joked.

"We should cut down on the dumb jokes and go check on Usagi," Hotaru noted.

"You're right, sorry," Brad said with a sigh.

"Don't mind, I'm sure you'll hit puberty one of these days."

"Ouch. Deadly blunt, I like that."

Minako coughed a bit too loud. "Okay, let's just go, guys, before someone is murdered for flirting."

"And here I always thought it would be me," Terry mused.

* * *

"Welcome, Sailor Moon."

Moon glared at Kaorinite, then noticed Mamoru was chained to a wall. "What did you-"

Kaorinite smiled at her, then saw the guy was waking up. "I already checked him, his crystal is normal. I could have destroyed it on the spot, but I thought it would be much better to put it back in, and have him watch as I kill you."

Uranus glared at Kaorinite. "You are going too far, Kaorinite, we-"

"Move and the guy dies," Kaorinite said, pointing her arm at him.

Uranus looked at Neptune who nodded to a dark corridor near Kaorinite. Uranus knew what she meant, and nodded back. "Right. We don't need to fight you, Moon will-"

Moon sighed and closed her eyes for a moment before opening them. "Kaorinite, do I have your word that you'll let him go?"

"Of course," Kaorinite said, not sounding quite convincing.

"As I thought." She looked back at Uranus and Neptune. "If I am a carrier, just... Don't let her kill him. I wish I could have told him..."

Kaorinite shrugged. "Blah blah blah, shut up already!" She rushed forwards, using the same trick she had used before, and got Moon's crystal. As the girl slumped to the ground, however, Kaorinite felt her hand warm up, and had to step back and close her eyes as the light from the crystal blinded her. "What is that? So bright... It has to be a Talisman!"

Uranus smiled. "You idiot, don't your bosses tell you anything? That's no Talisman, but the purest hearts shine the brightest."

Kaorinite walked to the crystal. "Hmph, it doesn't matter, I will simply destroy-"

"Don't you dare!"

She looked at the man. "Shut up, human. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

"Then let me do it. Moonlight Flash!"

Mamoru wasn't quite sure about what had happened. Moon was still unconscious, so who had just knocked Kaorinite into a wall?

The answer was quite unexpected, as he saw a Sailor Senshi in a pink suit walk out of the corridor. "What the... ChibiUsa?"

"Hi, dad."

Uranus saw the new Senshi (who was visibly younger than any of them,) grab the crystal and return it to Moon. "Did that kid just call him-"

"Damn you, brat!"

"World Shaking!"

It almost happened too fast to see, but Mamoru heard the desperate screams and his mind finally made sense of it. Kaorinite hadn't been knocked out by ChibiMoon's attack, and had tried to attack her while she was distracted, but Uranus was faster, and knocked Kaorinite right out of the building. There was a muffled thud outside, and Mamoru couldn't help but smile. "Karma can come from the least expected sources."

Moon staggered up, her mind quickly telling her something had changed while she was out. "Huh? ChibiUsa, is that you?"

"Yeah."

"Why did you-"

"I'll explain later," ChibiMoon said. "Can you walk?"

Moon smiled and, instead of answering, walked to where Mamoru was, and ripped the chains right out of the wall.

"I think that's a yes," Mamoru said. "Thanks for coming to rescue me."

"I couldn't let them take away the one I love," Moon said, then realized something and blushed deep red.

Mamoru chuckled. "If I had known all it would take for you to say that word, was to be captured by an enemy..."

"Hey, what the heck? She's back?"

Moon looked outside and saw a large, futuristic-looking plane, and her friends were jumping into the building from inside it. "Guys..."

"We're a bit late, judging from the small crater with a Kaorinite in it," Dragon Mercury joked. "So, you killed her?"

Moon shook her head. "Not sure who did it, I was... Kaorinite got my heart crystal."

"It was Uranus," ChibiMoon said. "But they left while you were distracted."

"Question, how old are you?" Dragon Mercury asked.

"Twelve," ChibiMoon said. "Wonders of time traveling."

"I guessed you were older than last time we saw you," the Dragon said, then noticed Mercury's stare. "... Sorry."

Moon understood what Mercury meant. "... Seriously, she's just twelve."

Nova (who had, like the rest of the 'sidekicks', decided to tag along,) smiled at that. "Well, we were twelve when we... Uh..."

Mercury looked at her, then at Dragon Mercury, then blushed. "I'm not sure I wanted to know that."

ChibiMoon produced a crystal just like the Ginzuishou, and smiled. "Don't worry, guys, I can take care of myself."

"Oh, you have your own crystal now," Dragon Mercury said. "Okay, I'll just look but not touch. Won't even look, if I can help it."

Moon smiled, but then realized she had a lot of questions to ask her, starting by why she was there.

ChibiMoon seemed to guess what the others were thinking. "Let's get back to the base, I'll explain everything there."

"Sounds good- Wait, what about the plane?"

Dragon Mercury shrugged. "It will just drive itself back to the base."

"... Really, it being invisible wasn't enough for you?"

Dragon Mercury laughed at that. "It's not like it will get a lot of use."

"Nevermind," Dragon Sun said. "Mass Teleport."

* * *

While the other Senshi were chatting, Uranus and Neptune were back at ground level. Uranus stopped for a second and checked something. "Neptune, she's not there."

Neptune knew what she meant, the cracks from the impact of Kaorinite's body were there, but there was no body, or even blood. "Perhaps she vanished after dying, like youma did."

"Or perhaps..." Uranus shook her head. "If she comes back, I'll just throw her off a higher buildin."

Neptune nodded at that, then sighed. "Perhaps we should..."

"What's wrong?"

"What if we're wrong, and Moon's right?"

"I will give Moon credit, she was willing to sacrifice her own life to save her guy."

"Would you?"

"If it's to save you, then of course."

Neptune blushed slightly. "And yet... She didn't look like someone ready to die. She... She trusted us to save her, and him."

"We never gave her any reason to-"

"I know. Is it really just naivety, or is there something else we're not seeing?"

"We could ask her."

"No. Not yet. Let's try to find at least one Talisman first."

* * *

**A/N:** Usagi and Mamoru went for sixty-four chapters without saying the 'L word' to each other. That must be a record for Sailor Moon fanfics, but then again, I don't focus on romance much.

And yeah, Uranus and Neptune are starting their slow, painful de-jerkifying process. Why painful? If you haven't read Cyber Moon, you'll see why soon enough.


End file.
